Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) Ichimura Kakitsu, Tanosuke Sawamura, Sanjuro Seki in a Kabuki Play, 1867. Oban triptych.
Click here for a detailed enlargement.
A stunning Kunichika triptych in very good condition. I have spent far too long trying to identify the play! I cannot; the figure on the right is probably a magician or bandit… Orochimaru, the toad magician or else very possibly the bandit Genzaemon.
No matter, the piece intrigues with its mysterious images of traditional children’s toys on the kimonos of the left and centre characters and the dark gold and black supernatural images on the right hand figure… thunder clouds and dragons. I am inclined to say that this is a production of Jiraiya, and the figures in the toy kimonos are the adoptive siblings Jiraiya and Tsunate and the figure on the right is Orochimaru.
The print is full sized, colour and condition and impression are all fine. There is stunning wood grain in the background of all the sheets. A really very fine and reasonably early Kunichika triptych.
76cm x 38cm.
