# The Actor Ichikawa Ebizo III as Matsuomaru in the play Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy - By: Katsukawa Shunko 勝川春好 (1743-1812) - Date: 18th century - Medium: Color, lacquer black, and slight gold on silk - Classification: Paintings - Dimensions: H x W: 58.7 x 26.8 cm (23 1/8 x 10 9/16 in) - Culture: Japanese - Credit line: Gift of Charles Lang Freer - Museum: [Smithsonian Institution](https://asia.si.edu/object/F1898.423/) - Rights: [CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) - Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/web/81b7ed639a531bd5555108de10f099b6.jpg - Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words) The kabuki play Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy (Sugawara denju tenarai kagami) relates the story of Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), a courtier and calligrapher who died in exile due to maneuvers by his enemies at court. Here the actor Ichikawa Ebizo III (formerly Ichikawa Danjuro IV, 1712-1778) plays Matsuomaru, a samurai attendant to Fujiwara no Tokijira (871-909), one of the courtiers who plotted against Michizane. With his features fixed in a menacing stare, the actor strikes a pose in a scene of confrontation. The actor wears a courtier's hat and carries a tall umbrella covered with a white case.