Utagawa Toyokuni III. 1786-1864.
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Kabuki Actor Prints
[Actor playing a geisha]. 1858. Vertical Oban. Series: Edo Zakura Kiyomizu Seigen. Publisher: Ise-kane. Left sheet of a diptych. $75.
Arashi Rikan III in the role of Abe Sadato in the PlayOshu Adachigahara performed at the Kawarazaki. Date: 10/1852. Vertical oban. Half-length actor print. Censor seal: Fuku, Muramatsu. Carver seal ’Hori Chinosuke.’ Publisher: Ebisuya Shoshichi. Margins trimmed; red faded; extensive gauffrage. Signed: Toyokini ga. $325.
From the left, Bando Muraemon I and Kawarazaki Gonjuro I as banto (= clerk) Gonkuro and Ushiwaka Denji in 'Edo zakura Kiyomizu Seigen' . The play was performed at the Ichimura theatre. Date: 3/1853. Right sheet of a kabuki diptych. Vertical oban: 14 1/8 x 9 3/4 (sheet 14 5/8 x 10.) Publisher: Minatoya Kohei. Excellent color and condition. $100.
Ichikawa Ebizo V as Otomo Kuronush. 1852. Vertical oban. Series: Nazorae gogyo zukushi no uchi’ (Comparisons of the Five Elements). Half-length actor print. Publisher: Ebisuya Shoshichi. Censor seals: Kinugasa and Murat. A fine impression with bright colors and embossing. Signed: Toyokini ga. $475.
Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Danshichi Kurobei in 'Hanashobu otoko kagami'. The play was performed at the Nakamura theatre. Date: 4/1855. Right sheet of a kabuki diptych. Vertical oban. 14 3/8 x 9 3/4 (image and sheet). Censor seals: Kinugasa, Murata. Publisher: Tsutaya Kichizo. Excellent color. Paper losses in margins, 1 small hole beneath the hands holding the sword hilt. $95.
Iwai Kumesaburo III (left) and Bando Sajuro I (right). (role names unread; play not identified). c. 1849-51. Vertical oban: right sheet of a kabuki diptych. Publisher: Joshuya Kinzo (1830-1852). Censor seals Kinugasa (?), Murata (?) and Shita-Uri. Signed: Ichiyosai Toyokuni ga. Elegantly housed in a grey silk mat and a black-and-gold frame. $325.
Nakamura Fukusuke I as Sobaya. Date: 2/1857. Vertical oban. Untitled series of actors in role of the play ’Sukeroku sugata no uraume’, performed at the Nakamura theatre. Seal: aratame. Publisher: Ebisuya Shoshichi. Signed Toyokuni ga. Elegantly housed in a grey silk mat and a black-and-gold frame. $325.
Nakamura Tsuruzo I as Aburaya Genemon. (play not identified). Date: 6/1862. Center sheet of a triptych. Vertical oban. Publisher: Kikuya Ichibei. Carver's seal: ’hori Kane’ Signed Toykuni ga. Elegantly housed in a grey silk mat and a black-and-gold frame. $325.
From the left, Sawamura Tossho II and Kawarazaki Gonjuro I as Kageyama Shigenojo (?), Yaegaki Monzo in "'Kosode Soga azami no ironui'. Performed at the Ichimura theatre. 1859. Vertical oban diptych (14 1/2 x 20). Three stains in lower margins, 3 small paper losses in left-hand margin. $350.
Series: Actors from the 53 Stations of the Tokaido.
Please click on Tokaido.
Series: Actors from the 53 Stations of the Tokaido.
Date: 1852.
Size: vertical oban.
This is the artist's best series of actor bust portraits. The prints were designed to be diptychs; however most of the sheets appear singly.
The information on the large screens has been provided by Horst Graebner's excellent website on the artist's prints: Kunisada.
This series poses actors in famous roles set against locations of the Tokaido. The views of the stations of the Tokaido are modified versions of those made famous by Hiroshige with his first version of the series published by Hoeido some twenty years earlier. The actors were identified by their roles only due to prohibitions at the time- but the audience would have recognized the actors based on the character titles and their features as portrayed by Kunisada.
Click on the images for larger screens; large screens are hyperlinked.
Title Page. 13 1/8 x 3 1/4 inches. Five wormage holes. $100.
Asakasa, Sawai. Excellent color, good condition. $225.
Chiryu. Printed with gauffrage in the white part of the robe. Good color, impression and condition, apart from minor soiling, less pronounced than in the image. $250.
Fujikawa. Excellent color and condition. $300.
Futakawa Excellent color, impression and condition. $275.
Hodogaya. Excellent color, impression and condition. $350.
Ishibe - Ohan. Station 52. Excellent color, impression and condition. $350.
Ishiyakushi. Fine color. Fair condition -- two small stains in the top, small paper losses, 1 in top and 2 in bottom margins. $125.
Kawasaki Fine color. Fair condition -- wormage and paper losses in the arm, 3 losses in the sky. $125.
Kusatsu played by Arashi Yoshisaburo. Station 53. Very good color, impression and condition. $275.
Kyo - Ishikawa Goemon. Station 55:.Good color, impression and condition. Some surface soiling. $225.
Mishima. excellent color and impression. Slight soiling and creasing. $225.
Nihombashi. Fair color, poor condition: paper losses, soiling. $150.
Numazu. Excellent color and condition. $350.
Odawara Good color. and condition. $250. Another impression with uneven inking in the sky and a small tear in the lower margin, $200.
Okazaki. Good color and condition. Some printing folds in the face and arms. $200.
Sakanoshita Good color and condition. $225.
Seki-Koman. Station 48. Good color and condition. Slight soiling in the neck. $275.
Shinagawa. Good color. Several small holes in top sky and margin, paper loss on lower margin, printing folds. $125.
Shono. Good color. Several small holes in top margin, paper loss on lower margin, printing folds. $175.
Totsuka. Good color. Image loss to the left of the man's shoulder, one ink stain in the sky, 1 pinhole in the arm,slight soiling. One pinhole in the arm. $175
Tsuchiyama. Good color and condition. Slight soiling. $300.
Yokkachi Excellent color and condition. $250.
Yoshiwara. Excellent color and condition. Embossing in the collar. $300.
Twentieth-century Japanese prints.
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