Dancer in Momijigari, from an untitled series of nerimono festival dancers

A shikishiban surimono of circa 1823 in the Art Institute of Chicago, this print from an untitled series depicts a dancer performing the role of Momijigari (Maple-Viewing) — a noh and later kabuki dance in which a court party is set upon by a maple-leaf-clad demoness during an autumn outing. The role drew on a long literary and dramatic tradition: the original noh play Momijigari and the later kabuki dance variant both staged the moment of transformation when the disguised demoness revealed her true nature, a moment beloved of nineteenth-century stage practice. The series records nerimono (literally 'paraded things') performers, the elaborately costumed dancers and figures who took part in the seasonal processions of the licensed quarters. Such surimono were often commissioned by patrons of specific geisha or by kyōka clubs to commemorate festival appearances. Shigenobu's handling of the dancer's costume — with its trailing maple-leaf-patterned sleeves and the dramatic stance of the role — exploits the surimono format's appetite for elaborate textile pattern and metallic highlights, and the date places the print at the very heart of his most productive period.