As the portrayal of an actor in a play would have been an offence under the austerity regulations of the time, these sketches 'resemble' but do not actually 'portray' popular actors (such as Seki Sanjuro III and Onoe Baiko IV) in current theatrical performances. This is despite the fact that there are further clues in the little sketches beside the heads, each one of which is actually a rebus referring to the role played by the individual actor. The scribbled signature is in kana and is itself a little faux-naif joke indicating that the artist belongs to the less-educated class.

For other impressions of these designs see Juzo Suzuki, Utagawa Kuniyoshi Exhibition Catalogue (Tokyo, 1996), no.270-272 and Robert Schaap, Heroes and Ghosts (Amsterdam, 1998), no.229