Original late Edo period Utagawa Kunisada woodblock print of a performing kabuki actor shown here in onnagata, a female role costume. The style, signature and censor seals date this print to c. 1828 - 1835.
This ukiyo-e woodblock print was created by the renowned artist Utagawa Kunisada, later also known as Toyokuni III, a prominent bijin-ga artist in the early 19th c. Kunisada used the studio name Shichikintei in the late 1820s / early 1830s.
The print style, elegant bijin-ga with patterned kimono and theatrical setting, the signature and seals date this woodblock print to the late Edo period c.1828 - 1835. The round seal with the word kyoku, meaning excellent, and the publisher's seal bottom right help confirm this date.
Woodgrain impressions and pigment layering are clearly visible. The seals and studio name align with verified Kunisada woodblock prints.
The subject matter here is a kabuki actor, Ichikawa Monnosuke, in a female role performing under a decorated curtain known as a shimenawa, quite likely a scene from a New Year's play or a shrine scene. This is typical of Kunisada's bijin-ga-meets-kabuki genre,
In image 8, the inscriptions either side of the figure have been translated. To the left the text reads 'Ichikawa Monnosuke', the name of the Kabuki actor shown here in onnagata, female role costume. To the right it reads 'drawn after a design by Kyōden', a tribute to the earlier artist Santō Kyōden.
CONDITION: There is some very minor signs of foxing and age toning commensurate with age. The natural, vegetable dyes used at the time were notoriously delicate, and the blue has faded a little with time, but the image remains crisp and strong. Presented in a contemporary frame with a nylon cord attached to hooks verso.
This is one of four Japanese woodblock prints sourced from an important single owner collection. SEE LAST THREE IMAGES AND SEPARATE LISTINGS.
Please look carefully at the images as they form part of the description. WILL BE DISPATCHED PROTECTED IN POLYSTYRENE.
Frame height: 54 cms. Width: 39.75 cms. Depth: 2 cms. Image size inside mount: 36.25 X 24 cms. Weight: 1.54 Kgs.
Price: £175.00. FEATURED ARTIST'S EASEL FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY, AND NOT INCLUDED.
Postage: £16.95. UK mainland dispatch by ParcelForce 48 courier service. For overseas dispatch refer to details of eBay's Global Shipping Programme by clicking on SEE DETAILS in postage section under the BUY IT NOW button. Collection in person from South West London possible. CONTACT SELLER.
SKU: 12809.