Toyokuni III. 1786-1865.
Series: Yakusha Mitate: Actors at 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.
Shono.
Series: Actors from the 53 Stations of the Tokaido. Station 46.
Date: 1852 (rat ).
Actor: Bando Hikosaburo IV .
Role: Nakano Tobei.
Publisher: Sumiyoshiya Masagoro.
Censors' seals: Hama, Magome.
Signed: Toyokuni ga.
Size: vertical oban (14 x 10).
Gaufrage (embossing) in the actor's robe. Light soiling in the actor's cheek; otherwise good color and condition. $150.
Yoshiwara.
Series: Actors from the 53 Stations of the Tokaido. Station .
Actor: Arashi Rikan III.
Role: Tonase.
Play: Kanadehon Chushingura.
Date: 1852 (rat 3).
Censors' seals: Mera, Watanabe.
Publisher: Izutsuya Shokichi.
Carver: Horitake.Signed: Toyokuni ga.
Size: vertical oban (14 x 10 inches)
Excellent color and condition. Embossing in the collar. $175.
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