Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX as the Female Demon Uwanari, from the series One Hundred Roles of Ichikawa Danjuro, 1898. Oban.
One of Kunichika’s finest prints of his later career. The actor Ichikawa Danjuro was one of the most revered of his generation, and had a close relationship with Kunichika. Kunichika was however an alcoholic and they reportedly fell out over the production of this series. The series was produced in a deluxe edition - this print sparkles with mica dust and no expense has been spared in the quality of the paper and the printing. It depicts a scene from the play, The Ambush of the Second Wife, and shows Uwanari, the jealous ghost of a philandering husband’s first wife. She returns to haunt him through the body of her daughter. Danjuro wears a hannya mask, traditionally worn by vengeful female spirits in no and kabuki theatre.
Very fine condition and impression. Very good colour with extensive use of mica and embossing in the backgrounds and the cartouche. A near perfect impression of a very fine design.
