Hirosada, A Mirror of the Osaka Summer Festival

Konishi Hirosada (ca 1810 - 1864) A Mirror of the Osaka Summer Festival (Natsu matsuri naniwa kagami) 1850. Deluxe Chuban Tetraptych.

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Another representation of the same play as the previous print, this is a different scene with different characters and as previously mentioned, with a wholly different sense of the stage. Once again we are in the presence of the fishmonger Danshichi, here seen on the third sheet from the left, brandishing a sword. Danshichi is played by Nakamura Utaemon IV; he has just been released from prison, vowing not to become involved again with fighting and brawling. He visits the house of his friend, Sabu but is attacked by a professional swordsman, Issun Tokubei seen here on the far right sheet. Sabu intervenes, separating the two men with a folding screen. At that moment, Danshichi’s wife appears and is dismayed to see her husband fighting when he has not yet even returned home. The print is featured in the catalogue for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston exhibition of Hirosada in 1984 on page 105.

This is a very fine four sheet print from the outstanding Osaka print artist Hirosada. The piece has a beautiful rhythm to the figures who each occupy a single sheet. The colour, condition and impression are all fine. A further print of the same subject by Hirosada shows a later scene in Danshichi’s life from a different play.

Published by Kinkado.

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£420.00