Antique Print-ACTOR-DANSABURO-KABUKI THEATRE-UKIYO-E PRINT-Kunisada-1830

Engraving, block print on hand laid (verge) paper.
Sheet size: 25,5 x 37 cm. (10 x 14,6 inch). Image size: 25,5 x 37 cm. (10 x 14,6 inch).

Sensor: Kiwame (before 1845). Publisher Iseya Rikei (1804-1848).

Made by ‘Utagawa Kunisada or Gototei Kunisada’ after own design. Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese: ?? ??; 1786 ? 12 January 1865), also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III (?? ?? ?? Sandai Utagawa Toyokuni), was the most popular, prolific and commercially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. Beginning around 1810 Kunisada used the studio name “Gototei”, which refers cryptically to his father’s ferry-boat business. Until 1842 this signature appeared on nearly all of his kabuki designs. While growing up, he developed an early talent for painting and drawing. His early sketches at that time impressed Toyokuni, the great master of the Utagawa school and prominent designer of kabuki and actor-portrait prints. In the year 1800 or shortly thereafter Kunisada was accepted by Toyokuni I as an apprentice in his workshop. In keeping with a tradition of Japanese master-apprentice relations, he was then given the official artist name of “KUNI-sada”, the first character of which was derived from the second part of the name “Toyo-KUNI”.

Condition: Good, given age. Slight paper loss in upper right corner, repaired, on the reverse Japanese writing on doubled oriental paper. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully.

Keywords: ACTOR-DANSABURO-KABUKI THEATRE-UKIYO-E PRINT-MOSQUITO NET-SAMURAI SWORDS

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