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A silver mica-ground double bust portrait of Hikosaburo Bando III as Kan Shojo ( Sugawara Michizane ) disgraced and sent to Tsukushi, and Kataoka Nizaemon VII as Hakudayu from the play Sugawara denju tenarai kagami, “Sugawara’s Secrets of Calligraphy.” The play was written for the puppet theatre in 1746 and quickly adapted for Kabuki. Published by Yamaden, Kansei 8 ( 1796 ). Extremely rare. Unidentified collector’s seal au verso.

Fine impression. Perfect colour. Some slight loss of mica ( as per usual ) and a slight centre fold. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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An aiban bust portrait showing Iwai Hanshiro IV in an onnagata role. Published by Yamaguchi Chusuke c 1794. Another aiban okubi-e of the same actor in another onnagata role and of the same date was published by Tsuruya Kiemon. A rare and fine design.

Fine impression. Very good colour. Slight trimming, otherwise very good condition. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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The actors Otani Tomoemon II as Iwaki Yagenji and Bando Mitsugoro II as Wakato Tomoji in the play Tsuki wa Musashino aki no sewa goto performed at the Kiriza theatre, 7/1797. One of Toyokuni’s best double bust portraits. Published by Moriya Jihei 1797. Ex Hayashi collection ( seal top left ).

Fine impression. Very good colour. Very slight centre fold and one small wormhole. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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A double actor portrait showing Ichikawa Yaozo III in the role of Ume no Yoshibei, and Segawa Kikunojo III as his wife Koume, in the play Zoho Ume no Yoshibei performed at the Ichimura-za Theatre in the 4th month of 1801 ( Kyoho 1 ). Published by Uemura Yohei. Toyokuni was the pupil of Utagawa Toyoharu and went on to produce some of the finest actor prints of the period.

Fine impression, colour and condition. Full size. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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A double actor portrait showing Arashi Hinasuke II in the role of Fuwa Banzaemon, and Segawa Kikunojo III as the lady Okuni Gozen, in the play Jujo Genji Monogusa Taro performed at the Ichimura-za Theatre in the 8th month of 1800 ( Kansei 12 ). Published by Nishimuraya Yohachi. Toyokuni was the pupil of Utagawa Toyoharu and went on to produce some of the finest actor prints of the period.

Fine impression, colour and condition. Full size. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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A fine double actor portrait showing Segawa Kikunojo III as Wakasa no tsubone, and Arashi Sanpachi I as Miura Danjo in the play Utsukushiya yuki no sekai, performed at the Ichimura-za Theatre in the 11th month of 1799 ( Kansei 11 ). Published by Nishimuraya Yohachi. Toyokuni was the pupil of Utagawa Toyoharu and went on to produce some of the finest actor prints of the period.

Fine impression, colour and condition. Full size. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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The centre sheet of a hosoban triptych possibly showing Danjuro VI as Ashikaga Takauji or Prince Takahiro. Ex collection Walter von Scheven, 1878 – 1950, and purchased by him at Altkunst, Berlin in 1929. A fine design.

Fine impression and colour. Very small repaired binding holes, otherwise fine condition. Unsigned.

Status: Sold

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The actor Ichikawa Yaozo III as Umeomaru, the loyal retainer of Kan Shojo in the Kuruma biki, “Pulling the Carriage Apart,” scene from the play Sugawara denju tenarai kagami, “ Sugawara’s Secrets of Calligraphy” performed at the Miyako Theatre 7/1796. This is one of the most celebrated scenes in Kabuki, showing the stand-off between the brothers Umeomaru and Sakuramaru and Matsuomaru and Shihei. Of the utmost rarity. Toyokuni also designed prints of Matsuomaru and Shihei ( see this website ) and a triptych of the scene from the same play. One of ukiyoe’s great portraits. Umeomaru ( ume, “plum” ) is shown with the red sugi guma makeup of the impetuous hero, and plum blossom on his costume. Published by Yamaguchiya Tadasuke, 1796.

Fine impression. Mica-ground. Probably trimmed at top or bottom but I cannot, at the moment, locate another impression to compare. Some fading and other minor marks; small edge restoration. The role annotated top left in sumi ( as are other famous designs – possibly by the same collector ). As I cannot locate another impression and it’s unlikely there are more than a few, at best, impressions extant, a certain compromise on condition is necessary. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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The actor Kataoka Nizaemon VII as the evil Minister of the Left Fujiwara Shihei in the Kuruma biki, “Pulling the Carriage Apart,” scene from the play Sugawara denju tenarai kagami, “ Sugawara’s Secrets of Calligraphy” performed at the Miyako Theatre 7/1796. This is one of the most celebrated scenes in Kabuki, showing the stand-off between the brothers Umeomaru and Sakuramaru and Matsuomaru and Shihei. Of the utmost rarity: Another impression illustrated in Ukiyoe Taikei, vol. 9, no. 19 and also used for the cover of the book and slip-case. Toyokuni also designed mica-ground prints of Matsuomaru and Umeomaru ( see this website ) and a triptych of the scene from the same play – all excessively rare. One of ukiyoe’s great portraits. Published by Yamaguchiya Tadasuke, 1796.

Very good impression. The eyes with brass powder applied. Trimmed heavily top and bottom and very slightly at side. Some fading, soil and other minor marks. The role annotated in sumi top left. Other famous designs are known with these inscriptions ( by the same hand ? ). However, given the rarity and that, at best, there can only be a few impressions extant, a certain compromise is necessary. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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A fine late single bust of Matsumoto Koshiro V as Tsurugisawa Danjo Saemon in the “Beneath the Floor” scene of the play Shikisemono Soga no Datezome performed at the Morita-za in the 1st month of 1813. Here the arch villain Danjo, master of the black arts, has just risen on a stage lift in a cloud of smoke, having transformed back into human form from that of a giant sewer rat. His hands are still held in the position of a magic spell as he confronts the loyal warrior Otokonosuke who was standing guard in the cellar beneath his lord’s quarters. This print is one of a pair (not a diptych), the other showing Ichikawa Danjuro VII as Otokonosuke. (See Boston MFA for a much trimmed impression of this design acc. No 11.25348.)

Fine impression. Slight turning of the purple towards the edge. Some uneven trimming also into signature, otherwise good condition. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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A double bust portrait showing Onoe Matsusuke I (above) as the evil lady-in-waiting Iwafuji and Iwai Kumesaburo I as Ohatsu, maidservant to lady-in-waiting Onoe, in the “Inner Garden” scene of the play Kagamiyama Kokyo no Nishiki-e performed at the Ichimura-za in the 3rd month of 1803. In this scene the loyal maid Ohatsu finally avenges the shame brought upon her lady Onoe and her subsequent death, by fighting and killing the evil Iwafuji. The latter is one of Kabuki’s great female villains and the role is often given to an actor of male roles to emphasise her unattractive nature. Another impression was in the Succo collection. Illustrated in Toyokuni, Friedrich Succo, R.Piper & Co, 1913, no 523, p. 80. Published by Nishimuraya Yohachi, 1803.

Fine impression. Some oxidation, otherwise very good colour. Light album backing and very small binding holes. Very good condition. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold

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The well-muscled bodyguard Narukami Kajinosuke played by Sawamura Sojiro IV in the play Sugata no hana azuma no date-zome performed at the Ichimura-za Theatre, 3/1812. Published by Suzuki Ihei,1812. There is a companion design to this print showing Bando Mitsugoro as Kaminari Tsurunosuke.

Fine impression and colour. Very slightly trimmed at bottom, otherwise good condition. Minimal soil. Signed Toyokuni ga.

Status: Sold