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The Sanbasō is a ritualistic dance usually performed before kabuki plays to encourage prosperity and longevity. Two separate sections of the dance are portrayed here as if they occur simultaneously. First, an actor removes their mask and places it in a box like the one depicted in the center of the print. Later in the performance, another actor dances with a stick of bells representing grains of rice, seen here in the hand of the figure on the right. By displaying two distinct parts of the dance together, Kiyomitsu trades an accurate scene for a fuller representation of the Sanbasō as a whole.Label Type
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Label written by Macy Baker