UTAGAWA KUNISADA (1786-1865) JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINT, EDO PERIOD, SAMURAI KABUKI ACTOR AT SEA, 16IN
A dramatic early 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print attributed to Utagawa Kunisada I (1786–1865), one of the most prolific and influential masters of the Utagawa school. This striking vertical oban-format nishiki-e depicts a Kabuki actor in the role of the celebrated samurai commander Kobayakawa Takakage, seated aboard a vessel with his hand firmly gripping a sword as powerful stylized waves surge behind him. The inscription at upper left appears to identify the historical character Kobayakawa Takakage and the performing actor Sawamura Tossh_. The lower-left signature reads approximately Gototei Kunisada ga, pictured by Gototei Kunisada. This was an early art name used by Kunisada before he assumed the distinguished name Toyokuni III. Additional publisher and censor seals appear beside the signature, supporting an Edo-period date, likely circa 1830s to early 1840s. The entire piece is double matted and framed under acrylic in a wooden frame and it measures 16 inches x 20 inches. This piece was acquired from a Metro Washington DC estate.
Condition
Excellent
Dimensions
20 x 16 x 0.5 in
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
A dramatic early 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print attributed to Utagawa Kunisada I (1786–1865), one of the most prolific and influential masters of the Utagawa school. This striking vertical oban-format nishiki-e depicts a Kabuki actor in the role of the celebrated samurai commander Kobayakawa Takakage, seated aboard a vessel with his hand firmly gripping a sword as powerful stylized waves surge behind him. The inscription at upper left appears to identify the historical character Kobayakawa Takakage and the performing actor Sawamura Tossh_. The lower-left signature reads approximately Gototei Kunisada ga, pictured by Gototei Kunisada. This was an early art name used by Kunisada before he assumed the distinguished name Toyokuni III. Additional publisher and censor seals appear beside the signature, supporting an Edo-period date, likely circa 1830s to early 1840s. The entire piece is double matted and framed under acrylic in a wooden frame and it measures 16 inches x 20 inches. This piece was acquired from a Metro Washington DC estate.
Condition
Excellent
Dimensions
20 x 16 x 0.5 in
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
