Good antique condition. A backing was added at some point in the past. There is minor insect damage to the corners that is only noticeable upon close inspection. The colors remain vivid, and the printed lines are sharp. There is no apparent moisture damage. Some age-related creasing is present but could be largely concealed when framed.
This original woodblock triptych was designed in 1879 (Meiji 12) by Toyohara Kunichika and published by Fukuda Kumajirō. Titled Meiji Shinkyōgen – Hamamatsu-jō Kiroku Kikigaki (明治新狂言 濱松城記録聞書), it illustrates a dramatic supernatural scene from one of the new Kabuki productions of the early Meiji period.
The composition centers on the ghostly figure Okuyama Hansōbō, who emerges surrounded by swirling flames and spirits in a spectacular display of supernatural power. Bantō Kiroku recoils in terror before the apparition, while Oryō flees the advancing flames. Kunichika's expressive faces, dramatic poses, and brilliant colors capture the excitement of the stage at its most theatrical.
The actor cartouches identify Ichikawa Sadanji I performing the roles of Okuyama Hansōbō and Bantō Kiroku, while Ichikawa Danjūrō IX appears as Ukio no Yonezō. These celebrated performers were among the leading stars of Meiji-period Kabuki, and Kunichika documented many of their most important stage appearances.
During the Meiji era, Kabuki productions increasingly relied on elaborate stage effects, including colored smoke, swirling flames, ghosts, and magical transformations. Kunichika became renowned for translating these spectacular performances into vividly colored woodblock prints, preserving the atmosphere of productions that could otherwise only be experienced in the theatre.
An outstanding Meiji-period Kabuki triptych, combining supernatural imagery, legendary performers, and the dramatic visual style that established Kunichika as the greatest designer of actor prints in nineteenth-century Japan.
