Very good antique condition. A solid backing was added at some point in the past, permanently joining the three sheets. There is very minor insect damage consistent with age, but no noticeable creases. The colors remain vivid, the woodblock impressions are sharp, and the triptych displays exceptionally well. Measures approximately 75 × 38 cm.
This original Meiji-period woodblock triptych was designed during the 1880s by Toyohara Kunichika. Titled 新板狂言 花競 (Shinpan Kyōgen Hanakurabe – "New Kabuki Play: Contest of Flowers"), it celebrates a contemporary Kabuki performance through richly detailed costumes, expressive actor portraits, and brilliant color printing.
The central figure portrays Ichikawa Danjūrō IX in the leading role, distinguished by dramatic white theatrical makeup and an elaborate floral costume. He is flanked by Sekizaki Ayase on the left and Kochō Sagami on the right, whose butterfly-wing costumes and peony branches create an elegant composition inspired by the beauty of flowers and the spectacle of the Kabuki stage.
Throughout the 1880s, Kunichika produced numerous actor triptychs commemorating newly staged Kabuki productions in Tokyo. Sold as theatrical souvenirs, these large-format prints preserved the performances of Japan's greatest actors while documenting the elaborate costumes, makeup, and stage designs that defined Meiji-period Kabuki.
Kunichika's mature style is evident in the powerful facial expressions, vibrant imported aniline pigments, and richly patterned textiles that fill the composition. By combining dramatic portraiture with decorative floral motifs, he transformed scenes from the theater into striking works of art that remain among the finest examples of late nineteenth-century yakusha-e (actor prints).
An outstanding original Meiji Kabuki triptych by Kunichika, combining legendary performers, spectacular costume design, and the bold theatrical style that made him the foremost designer of actor prints during the Meiji era
