Kunisada: Surimono of Bando Mitsugoro IV as Sekibei and the Cherry Tree (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864)
Title: Bando Mitsugoro IV as Sekibei, Halted by the Spirit of the Cherry Tree
Date: 1832

Surimono of the actor Bando Mitsugoro IV as Sekibei from the the play "Tsumoru koi yuki seki no to" (Snow and Love Piled Up at the Seki-no-to Barrier Gate). Sekibei intends to place a curse on the emperor by chopping down this large cherry tree, but he is stopped by the appearance of the spirit of the cherry tree. Here he has halted, transfixed, prior to striking a blow, the enormous axe in hand. This design combined with a second image to form a vertical diptych. The poems are by Matsunoya Korenari and Shoeitei Tsukiyoshi. The poems have been translated in the cited literature. Surimono by Kunisada are very scarce. With metallic printing and lacquer-like patterning on the black areas of his costume and blindprinting on the cherry blossoms.

Condition: Very good impression. Good color and condition. Unbacked; minor mounting remnants, verso. 
Dimensions: shikishiban (20.7 x 18.4 cm)
Signature: Kochoro Kunisada ga

Literature: See "Kunisada's World" by Sebastian Izzard  (1993), page 124 number 57. The surimono shown in the book is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, Leiden. 

SKU: KUC043S