The Actor Ichikawa Ebizo II casting a curse at the hour of the ox - Torii Kiyomasu II

A classic Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Torii Kiyomasu II depicting the kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo II performing a ritual curse.

This woodblock print by Torii Kiyomasu II depicts the kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo II in a dramatic pose. The subject is engaged in the ritual of casting a curse at the hour of the ox, a practice rooted in Japanese folklore. The actor holds a large wooden stake, which he intends to drive into a straw effigy, a common motif in theatrical depictions of vengeance and supernatural retribution.

Kiyomasu II, a member of the Torii school, specialised in yakusha-e, or actor prints. The Torii school maintained a close relationship with the kabuki theatres of Edo, often producing promotional material for the stage. This print displays the characteristic bold, sweeping lines associated with the school, which were designed to capture the exaggerated energy of the kabuki performance. The composition is structured to emphasise the actor's intense facial expression and the physical tension of his posture.

The print uses a limited colour palette, typical of the benizuri-e style, where colour was applied sparingly to enhance the black ink outlines. The background features a cartouche containing the name of the Senso-ji temple, providing a specific setting for the ritual. The lower section includes the actor's name and the artist's signature, framed within the traditional format of eighteenth-century Japanese printmaking. The work serves as a record of both the theatrical conventions of the period and the stylistic preferences of the Torii lineage, which dominated the genre of actor portraiture for several generations. The focus remains on the graphic power of the figure, with the decorative elements of the kimono and the surrounding architecture providing a balanced visual frame for the central action.