Kunisada: Playing in the Extreme Heat (gokusho asobi) (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada
Title: Playing in the Extreme Heat (gokusho asobi)
Date: 1852/5th month

A pleasure boat carries what looks to be five kabuki actors on the Sumida River, while an attendant pours sake behind a screen. The actors are not identified, and two are in femaile attire. Due to the extreme heat of summer, swimmers demonstrate different swimming styles, such as imitating frogs, standing swimming with sake tokkuri bottle, shachihoko fish standing swimming style, etc. The stern of the pleasure boat is tied to the strong wooden pilings of a bridge, and we can glimpse onlookers peering out over the railings atop the bridge.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. Middle sheet has minor wormage and binding holes left edge; left sheet has a few smudges.
Dimensions: ôban triptych
Publisher: Enshu-ya Hikobei
Seal: censors’:Hama Yabei & Magome Kangayu, date seal:5th month of Rat Year (1852)
Signature: konomini makasete (according to a taste) Toyokuni ga

SKU: KUS217