{"product_id":"meiji-1880-85-ukiyo-e-ichikawa-danjuro-ix-kabuki-portrait-by-toyohara-kunichika-approximately-25x37cm","title":"Meiji 1880-85 Ukiyo-e Ichikawa Danjuro IX Kabuki Portrait by Toyohara Kunichika (Approximately 25X37CM)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"208\" data-end=\"406\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eVery 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.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"408\" data-end=\"602\"\u003eThis original Meiji-period \u003cem data-start=\"435\" data-end=\"446\"\u003eyakusha-e\u003c\/em\u003e (Kabuki actor print) was created circa 1880–1885 by \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eToyohara Kunichika\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, one of the last great masters of traditional Kabuki portraiture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"1067\"\u003eThe print advertises a newly staged production at \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eShintomi-za\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, Tokyo's premier Kabuki theatre following its reopening in 1878. The title begins with the inscription \u003cem data-start=\"795\" data-end=\"805\"\u003eShinsaku\u003c\/em\u003e (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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1069\" data-end=\"1415\"\u003eThe composition features the legendary Kabuki actor \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eIchikawa Danjūrō IX\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1417\" data-end=\"1735\"\u003eThe brilliant greens and reds are characteristic of Meiji \u003cem data-start=\"1475\" data-end=\"1486\"\u003enishiki-e\u003c\/em\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1737\" data-end=\"1950\"\u003eAs 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Echoes of Edo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49167003713795,"sku":null,"price":7000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/5965\/1587\/files\/IMG_6450.jpg?v=1783163941","url":"https:\/\/echoesofedo.com\/products\/meiji-1880-85-ukiyo-e-ichikawa-danjuro-ix-kabuki-portrait-by-toyohara-kunichika-approximately-25x37cm","provider":"Echoes of Edo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}