Ginko Adachi (active 1874 - 1897) The Calendar of Events in Edo Theatre: The Curtain and the Announcements, 1897. Oban.
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Terrific woodblock from a series featuring designs by Adachi Ginko and Torii Kiyosada depicting theatrical events throughout the year in Edo. These beautifully detailed scenes include special dances or performances marking the start of the season or in conjunction with annual festivals, actors paying New Year calls, raucous fan clubs, quiet ceremonies, and lively views both inside and outside the theatre. Several images from this series are illustrated in the recent book Heroes of the Kabuki Stage by Arendie and Henk Herwig. These colourful designs provide a wonderful first-hand look at the enormous popularity of kabuki theatre in Edo. Particularly interesting is the depiction of rowdy and busy interactions in the foreground… of course there is a delightful humour in the peeking face appearing through the gap in the stage curtain.
The stage curtain or hikimaku, is manually pulled across the stage from right to left by a stage assistant at the opening of a play. The curtain pattern is a set of three vertical stripes, whose colour were fixed during the Edo period for each theatre. These colours are still used today.
Three editions of this print are known. This is from the first edition and contains the publisher’s information in the margin and Ginko’s red seal on the lower left of the stage curtain. There is a copy of this print in the collection of the Smithsonian Institute.
Colour condition and impression all very good.
36cm x 25cm.
