Kunisada: Ronin Wielding his Katana Sword 神崎与五郎則休 沢村訥升

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Title:  The syllable “Tsu”: Sawamura Toshho II as Kanzaki Yogoro Noriyasu.  沢村訥升

Series: Stories of the Faithful Samurai 誠忠義士伝 (Seichu Gishi Den)

Date: 1864

The syllable “Tsu”: Sawamura Toshho II as Kanzaki Yogoro Noriyasu.  沢村訥升. He raises his sword above his head, preparing to execute his stroke, his expression deadly serious.

In this series, kabuki actors are portrayed as one of the 47 Ronin, each dressed in the harlequin-like outfits that the masterless samurai donned for their famous night attack of vengeance against Lord Kira in the Chushingura tales.  In this series they are “counted” by the kana syllabary, and this is the Syllable Tsu. 

Kunisada signed this with pride with his age, seventy-nine, which ended up being his final year of his life. Beautifully printed.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition.

Dimensions: ôban (36.5 x 24.5 cm)   Publisher: Daikokuya Kinzaburô

Signature:  Seventy-nine-year-old Toyokuni hitsu

SKU: KUS555