Kabuki actor patterns and Kabuki crests

"Edo Fan, Ukiyo-e, Toyokuni, Carved Bamboo"

Originally, this round fan was made round fan depicting a scandal involving a Kabuki actor.

Ibasen had deep ties to Kabuki, and in the early 19th century, he sold round fan paintings featuring Kabuki actors—essentially what we would now call actor promotional photos.Together with wisteria by

Toyokuni wisteria shown below, these are the only two Kabuki round fan paintings to have survived both the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II.

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"Edo Fan, Ukiyo-e, Toyokuni, Chōtō"

This is the Kabuki play *Kanjincho*.

During the Edo period, ukiyo-e served as a promotional medium for Kabuki, and prints were reportedly released for each play as it was staged. It seems that people in Edo could immediately tell

which actor was which by the patterns on their yukata, obi, and tenugui, as well as by their family crests.

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Edo fan: “Kumadori”

"Kumadori" refers to a technique used in Japanese painting to create a sense of depth through the use of color itself and variations in its intensity; applying kumadori gives the painting a three-dimensional quality.

It is said that the first Ichikawa Danjūrō pioneered the use of kumadori in Kabuki. It is believed he drew inspiration for kumadori from the puppets used in Jōruri.

Kabuki began during the Edo period. Since the theaters at that time had no electric lighting and were dimly lit, it was difficult to make out the actors’ facial expressions. To make their expressions even slightly easier to discern, it is said that actors began applying bold kumadori patterns to their white-painted faces.

The colors of kumadori also have specific meanings: red represents justice, blue represents evil, and brown represents demons. There are also various shapes, with approximately one hundred different types.

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Kabuki: List of Kumadori Styles

You can get a general idea of which of the three types of kumadori on Ibasen’s Ibasen correspond to each style by referring to the list on the left.

◆The one on the far left is “Sujiguma,” the most commonly used kumadori style in Kabuki and

a representative style of the “Aragoto” genre. Soga Gorō in *Yano-ne* ◆The one in

the middle is “Mukimiguma,” which has a slightly more delicate and alluring feel.

Sukeroku from *Sukeroku Yuen: Edo Sakura* ◆

The one on the far right is *Saruguma*, used for roles that are comical and humorous despite portraying a bold samurai.

Kobayashi Asahina in *Kotobuki Soga Taimen*

Various Actor Patterns

These “actor crests” were devised by Kabuki actors during the Edo period to promote their respective troupes. By combining and refining various patterns, they developed these unique and stylish “actor crests.” These crests, the epitome of style, serve as a bridge between Kabuki actors and their audience.

Shikanjima

It was popularized by the kabuki actor Nakamura Shikan I (Nakamura Utaemon III).

The pattern features four stripes and rings, with the name “Shikan” (four rings) derived from a pun on the word “Shikan.”

It is still used today as a pattern on yukata and tenugui.

Yokiko Tokikiku

It was incorporated into Kikugoro Onoe’s kabuki costumes.

The image of the axe is read as “yoki,” the character below it is “koto,” and the circular design represents a chrysanthemum flower.

This translates to “hearing good news.”

It is said that this design was adopted to rival Ichikawa Danjūrō’s “Kamawanu-mon” pattern, which was popular at the time.

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Futari Kamawanu

It is known as a pattern used by the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō.

This pattern, which was popular during the Edo period, features an overlapping design of a sickle, a circle, and the character “nu,” and is based on the phrase “kama-wanu.”

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Mitsugoro Shima

A pattern named after the Kabuki actor Bando Mitsugoro III.

A grid pattern formed by three, five, or six vertical and horizontal stripes intersecting.

“3-5-6” ▶︎ “Mitsugorō” Stripes

It is also known as the “Mitsugoro Grid (Mitsugoro Gōshi).”

Kikugoro Gōshi

This pattern was popularized by the kabuki actor Onoe Kikugoro III.

The four-stripe and five-stripe patterns are combined into a grid, with the characters “Ki” and “Ro” arranged alternately within the grid to form “Ki-Ku-Go-Ro,” representing Kikugoro’s name, “Kikugoro.”

It is also known as the Kikugoro Check or Kikugoro Dye.

Gōshi Ichimura

An item favored by the Kabuki actor Ichimura Uzaemon XII.

Between one horizontal and six vertical bars of the lattice pattern is the character “ra,” forming “16 ra” ▶ “Ichimura” ▶ “Ichimura.”

There is also a type known as “Yabure Ichimura Grid,” in which some of the grid lines are partially broken.

folding fan with Kabuki Motifs

Like other patterns, Kabuki crests have been used on stage costumes, props, and tenugui towels.

Ichikawa Danjūrō’s “San-masu” crest is particularly famous.

Three Monkeys Crest

The “Three Monkeys Crest” is a stylish pattern featuring the family crest of the prestigious Kabuki theater house Omodakaya—the Three Monkeys Crest—scattered throughout the design in both light and shadow.

It appears that this family crest is also featured on props used on stage by Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke.

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Three-Square Pattern (Mimasu-mon)

This design was conceived by the first-generation Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō, based on the “Inazuma-mon” (Lightning Pattern), and later became the official family crest of his school.

The “San-masu-mon” is a pattern stylized from the appearance of three nested square containers—large, medium, and small—when viewed from above. There are various variations, such as a design featuring scattered “San-masu” motifs or one where “San-masu” motifs are arranged between stripes.

The word “masu” (square container) is a homophone for “masu” (to increase), and is therefore considered an auspicious symbol. It is also known as the “Three Nested Masu” pattern.

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Tenugui folding fan—Actor Pattern—Purple

This is folding fan cotton folding folding fan featuring traditional tenugui patterns. It features a

stylish combination of

light purple “puzzle” patterns: Shikan-jima,
Yokokoto-kiku,
Kamawanu,
Mitsugoro-jima,
andKikugoro Gōshi,
Asanoha
, and Ichimatsu, among others.

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folding fan and folding fan Pouch with a Three-Masu Pattern

Edo fan Set No. 25: Double-Sided Design, Three-Square Pattern

The "San-masu" crest pattern is also embroidered on folding fan pouch, making this a set.

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The Back folding fan Three-Box Crest

It features a vivid blue "san-masu" crest.

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Ibasen Kabuki folding fan Pouch, Three Squares

If you're looking to pair it with folding fan the "San-masu" folding fan, we also have this design available. It's a

design that suits your taste.

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Various Patterns

There are patterns symbolic of the Edo period, such as the flags and banners used by the various firefighting units in the town of Yoshiwara—a place notorious for its frequent fires—during the Edo period.

Yoshihara Tsunagi

"Yoshiwara Tsunagi," also known as "Kurwa Tsunagi," takes its name from "Yoshiwara," the largest red-light district of the Edo period

. Even today, it is used as a representative Edo-era pattern on items such as hand towels and yukata.

Yoshihara Tsunagi: Red and Navy

The pattern featuring red and black stripes arranged in a regular vertical pattern is called “Yoshiwara-tsunagi,” also known as “Kurwa-tsunagi.”

Ukiyo-e: This pattern, which uses a phonetic loanword for “cat,” is also used by Kuniyoshi. It subtly expresses Kuniyoshi’s unique style.

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Matoi

A type of banner used by the various units of the Edo-period town fire brigades.

The top features a crest representing the unit, and the long, narrow ornament hanging down from the top is called a “baren,” which is adorned with tassels made of paper or leather.

When held in the hand and waved or spun, it appears to dance.

The fun is enhanced by comparing the unique “baren” of each unit to identify which unit they belong to.

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Auspicious Patterns

Patterns depicting objects considered to bring good luck are called “kisshō mon’yō” (auspicious patterns).

We’ve also featured a variety of auspicious patterns here, so please take a look.

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Related Products

This Edo-period round fan (nishiki-e, Yamato-style) was originally produced by the publisher Ibasen as a multicolored fan print (uchiwa-e). Based on this sole surviving woodblock print, Ibasen has now reprinted and reproduced it.