戯画堂芦幸画 二代目嵐橘三郎 「ひらかな盛衰記」|Kabuki Actor Arashi Kitsusaburō II as Kajiwara Heiji, in the play Hiragana seisuiki (Records of the Battles between the Minamoto and Taira Clans in the Japanese Syllabary)

Ashiyuki employs crisp, linear outlines and flat areas of saturated color to isolate the actor from a minimal decorative border. The composition includes pink blossoms and green foliage that frame the central figure, while a small red placard on the right identifies the performer, exemplifying the clear, graphic aesthetic of late‑Edo period actor prints.

The print was produced during the Bunsei era, a period of prolific kabuki portraiture. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the early twentieth century, where it remains catalogued as an example of Ashiyuki’s work for the popular publisher Gigadō.

Hiragana seisuiki dramatized the legendary battles between the Minamoto and Taira clans, using the Japanese syllabary as a narrative device. Kabuki actors such as Arashi Kitsusaburō II specialized in heroic warrior roles, and prints like this served both as promotional material for performances and as collectible souvenirs for theatergoers.