Very good antique condition overall. The colors remain vivid and the printed lines are sharp. The print displays beautifully, preserving the dramatic appearance typical of Meiji-period actor prints.
This original Meiji-period yakusha-e (Kabuki actor print) was created circa 1880–1885 by Toyohara Kunichika, one of the last great masters of traditional Kabuki portraiture.
The print advertises a newly staged production at Shintomi-za, Tokyo's premier Kabuki theatre following its reopening in 1878. The title begins with the inscription Shinsaku (新作, "New Play"), indicating that it promoted a contemporary premiere rather than a revival of a classic drama. Although part of the title is obscured by stylized theatrical calligraphy, the surviving text identifies it as a production performed at Shintomi-za.
The composition features the legendary Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IX alongside a female character in a dramatic stage scene. Danjūrō IX was the leading Kabuki actor of the Meiji period and one of Kunichika's favorite subjects, appearing in hundreds of the artist's prints documenting Japan's greatest theatrical performances.
The brilliant greens and reds are characteristic of Meiji nishiki-e, reflecting the widespread adoption of imported aniline dyes during the late nineteenth century. These vivid synthetic pigments gave Kunichika's prints their distinctive visual impact and symbolized the modernization of Japanese woodblock printing.
As both a theatrical advertisement and a work of art, the print captures a moment from Tokyo's flourishing Kabuki scene during the early Meiji period, preserving the performances of one of Japan's greatest actors.
