Kunimasa IV: Kite flying triptych (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Kunimasa IV (1848-1920)
Title: Kabuki Actors and Flying Kites
Date: 1873

Kabuki actors and flying kites. We see seven kabuki actors and two small children, below, with an array of kites filling the sky above. One of the children holds a kite that bears the name of an actor from the Ichikawa acting family. It is likely that the kites refer to the roles of the different actors that are shown at bottom. There are a number of festivals in Japan that feature kite flying, and this print shows an interesting array of kite types, including one with a mechanism that seems to distribute confetti.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. Unbacked. Minor trimming and some areas of rubbing.
Dimensions: oban triptych (35 x 69 cm)
Signature: Baido Kunimasa hitsu

SKU: KMA005