The Actor Yoshizawa Ayame I
date: label: Date
content: 18th century
label: Period
content: Edo period
notes: label: Label
content: Yoshizawa Ayame I (1673-1729) was one of the most famous onnagata (actors of women's roles) in the history of kabuki. From his debut on stage in the Kamigata (Kyoto-Osaka) theaters, he excelled in the portrayal of women. Later, in Edo, he achieved such perfection in his acting that new superlatives were invented to describe his skill in the annual actors' critiques (Yakusha hyobanki). Ayame once wrote that an onnagata should become as close as possible to a woman in his daily life in order to portray his character more convincingly. Wearing an elegant kimono decorated with a pattern of pine branches, the actor sits on an outdoor bench holding a sprig of blossoming plum. A broken fan and scattered blossoms are strewn at his feet beside a sake cup, an ewer, and a tray of food.
label: Provenance
content: To 1900
label: Provenance
content: Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), Boston, to 1900 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1900 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunkio Matsuki in 1900 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [2]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1]
label: Provenance
content: See Original Kakemono List, L. 228, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art from the Collection (October 26, 2024 - ongoing)
label: Exhibition History
content: The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Paintings and Prints (December 8, 2002 to May 26, 2003)
label: Exhibition History
content: Fans (May 18, 1980 to October 13, 1981)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to January 17, 1980)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Ukiyo-e Painting (May 2, 1973 to July 1, 1974)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art—Paintings, Pottery (August 18, 1967 to September 20, 1971)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Bunkio Matsuki 松木文恭 (1867-1940) (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Japan
topic: label: Topic
content: lacquer
label: Topic
content: Edo period (1615 - 1868)
label: Topic
content: theater
label: Topic
content: kabuki
label: Topic
content: Japan
label: Topic
content: actor
label: Topic
content: ukiyo-e
label: Topic
content: kakemono
label: Topic
content: Japanese Art
label: Topic
content: balcony
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1900.112
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ink, color, and lacquer black on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 88.2 × 33.7 cm (34 3/4 × 13 1/4 in)