Torii Kiyomitsu I 鳥居清満

These prints depict Segawa Kikunojō I, Kikunojō II, and Kikunojō III, famous onnagata (女方), or actors who portrayed legendary beauties and heroines in the Kabuki theater of the 1700s and early 1800s. Onnagata set trends and broke boundaries beyond the theather. Kikunojō I was said to have lived like a woman, imbuing his performance with realism; Kikunojō II was so popular, fashion items were named after him; and Kikunojō III, said to have excelled in courtesan roles, had cosmetics branded after him. The actors appear here dressed as women, their hair arranged according to the latest styles of the day. For many Japanese people, they symbolized the pinnacle of femininity and womanhood.

Segawa Kikunojo II was a famed female impersonator (onnagata) on the kabuki stage. The two columns of inscription in the upper right give his name and that of his role. The remainder of the text is a poem.