Kagamijishi — 鏡獅子
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
$1,000–$10,000. Common subjects: $1,000–$3,000. Key value factors: Yamakawa's limited output and early death at 46 make his prints relatively scarce. Quality bijin-ga command steady prices.
Kagamijishi depicts the Mirror Lion Dance, one of kabuki's most spectacular and technically demanding solo performances. The dance originated as a Nagauta musical piece and tells of a young attendant at the Tokugawa shogun's court who, while performing with a ceremonial lion mask, becomes possessed by the lion spirit. The dancer transforms from a demure court lady into a wild, shaking figure with a cascading white mane.
Shuho's oban woodblock print captures the theatrical power of this transformation. The Kagamijishi role requires the performer to convey two entirely different characters within a single dance, shifting from gentle femininity to ferocious supernatural energy. Shuho renders this dramatic subject with the vivid color and bold composition appropriate to kabuki's larger-than-life aesthetic, while bringing his bijin-ga sensibility to the female half of the role's dual nature. The lion mane, traditionally made from long white yak hair, provides a striking visual element.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Kagamijishi — 鏡獅子 was created by Yamakawa Shuho (山川秀峰).
Kagamijishi — 鏡獅子 was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Kagamijishi — 鏡獅子 depicts figures and kabuki.
