#frogs #magic #japanese
I love this magic Japanese frog.
Kunisada: Ichimura Uzaemon XIII and Frog Magic
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864)
Date: 1860

Ichimura Uzaemon XIII in the role of Tenjiku Tokubei. Tokubei was a famous explorer whose exploits were made into a number of kabuki plays. In most plays he learned magical frog powers from Sokan. Here he employs his frog magic to summon a giant frog, seen in the background, whose toothed mouth emits a poisonous-looking red cloud of vapor. Tokubei wears the jaunty scarf of the otokodate character, as well as oversized formal robes that fill the page. His hair is fluffy on top, showing that he does not adhere to societal conventions such as shaving his pate.