Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VII as Jiraiya, 1871. Oban.
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A tremendous actor in role portrait from the greatest of the theatre artists of the Meiji. Here he portrays one of the truly great characters of Japanese folklore, Jiraiya. The story of Jiraiya is long and convoluted. A Daimyo is attacked by a giant snake and rescued by a brave boy whom he takes to be his own son. The boy is in fact a snake demon, bent on the destruction of mankind. The Daimyo is possessed by the evil snake demon and has the families of the neighbouring kingdoms thrown from a cliff. The children (one of them the infant Jiraiya) survive and are raised by a hermit, Senso Dojin, (pictured in the companion sheet). Jiraiya is taught toad magic, hence the anthropomorphic cartouches. They are taught that the only way to defeat the giant snake demon is with a sacred sword. Jiraiya is wounded, healed by a long lost sister and finds the sacred sword. On confronting the possessed Daimyo, Jiraiya decides to pardon him because the sword has exorcised him and they all part in peace.
Many prints exist of Jiraiya with his sacred toads and swords, of his sister and her sacred slug magic and of course of both of them battling gigantic snake demons. Jiraiya is often depicted carrying a box which contains a scroll that has magical powers. In this print, Kunichika depicts Jiraiya as a handsome hero, clutching the box of magic scrolls, determined and active.
An excellent Kunichika, embossing to the very strong print colours. Colour, impression and condition are all very good, unbacked. An excellent mid career Kunichika.
Publisher: Yamamura Kinzaburō.
25 x 37 cm.
