Kunichika: Kabuki actor Ichikawa Sadanji I as Wada no Shimobe Busuke (Sold)

Artist: Toyohara Kunichika
Title: Kabuki actor Ichikawa Sadanji I as Wada no Shimobe Busuke
Series: Actors in Theatrical Hits as Great Heroes in Robber Plays (Haiyû shiranami atari no tsuwamono)
Date: 1873/5 (Meiji 6)

Okubie of Kabuki actor Ichikawa Sadanji I (1842-1904) as Wada no Shimobe Busuke. The play is “Revenge at Igagoe “(Igagoe dôchû sugoroku ) (Ichikawa Sadanji “Igagoe dôchû sugoroku” ). Sadanji in a costume of a fisherman holds a knife in each hand and a letter in his mouth. He takes revenge on the death of his father.

On the left top a cartouche of the book mentions the title of the Kabuki play, the actor’s name and role as well as the date and the artist signature are mentioned. ”Igagoe dôchû sugoroku” is one of the most popular three plays of vendetta. This picture is framed with the crests used by Sadanji I. The actor’s formal crest of an ivy leaf enclosed within an octagon (matsukawabishi ni tsuta) was supposedly given to the actor by Danjûrô IX.

Dimensions: ôban
Publisher: not mentioned
Literature: “Time present and Time Past”: Hotei Publ. p.103.
Signature: Toyohara Kunichika hitsu

SKU: KCA050