Torii (Ueno) Tadamasa: Kabuki Makeup for Soga Brothers Play (SOLD)

Artist: Torii (Ueno) Tadamasa (1886-1960)
Title: Makeup of Gorô in Youchi Soga; Youchi Soga Gorô no Kuma (夜討曽我五郎ノ隈)

Series: Continuation of Eighteen Kabuki Makeups Zoku Kumadori Jûhachiban (続隈取十八番)  Date: 1942

Kabuki actor with the makeup of Soga no Goro. Rain falls behind him and he is drawing his sword, a look of fierce determination on his face. The red accentuates his ardor for revenge, and his wig seems to be in motion. The two pompoms on his costume feature blindprinting, as well as elements on his visage. The kabuki play that recounts the tale of the Soga Brothers is one of the most famous in kabuki. These two very young men took vengeance on the killer of their father in 1193, and is includes as one of the three major vendetta stories in Japan.

Tadamasa Ueno was a student of Torii Kiyotada (1875-1941), continuing the legacy of the Torii artists that dates back to the 17th century and focusing on the genre of Kabuki. Tadamasa created a series during the war that featured eighteen classic styles of kabuki makeup; these were published by Watanabe Shôzaburô in 1940-41. This work is from the second series that was published in 1941, but only seven of the eighteen works were ever completed. The makeup used in kabuki hewed to very strict traditions; perhaps only the most famous actors could make minor modifications.

With the Watanabe seal in the left margin that was in use between 1935-1941, this may be considered a first edition.

From the famous Soga Brothers play Youchi Soga Kariba no Akebono (夜討曾我狩場曙)

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. One small stain upper left that is a remnant of original hinging glue. Never framed. Crease in upper left margin. Dimensions: 40 x 27 cm
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô
References: See the mjpap website for information on the whole series.

SKU: TDM010