Nakamara Utaemon III as Toba-e (三代目中村歌右ヱ門 鳥羽絵)

Western understandings of kabuki often overlook just how much of the form is meant to be comedic, with this scene being a prime example. We see Utaemon III(三代目歌右ヱ門) playing a servant dressed in nothing but a fundoshi(ふんどし, a Japanese loincloth), flailing in his ignominy as he’s lost both his fan and his food. The misfortune of servants was one of the main sources of comedy in these performances, speaking to which class of people provided the funds needed to keep the theaters and troupes funded. While much of kabuki features lush and ornate costuming, there is something to be said of how striking it is to see a man stripped down to the universal undergarment of the times.