Yoshiiku: Nakamura Shikan IV with Kabuki Advertisement 季既穐成駒摂屓 書写山の児鬼若丸 中村芝翫

Artist: Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904)
Title:  Kabuki forest scene with Scroll Unrolling and Woman holding Hannya Mask 鶴寿亀曽我島台 Date: 1865

An interesting scene that is apparently from the kabuki play “Soga Banzei Soga no Shimadai”. We see a group meeting in the forest at night; to the right is a woman in voluminous Noh robes, holding a hannya character mask in her hand. Two actors are unfurling a scroll, including a large central figure dressed as a yamabushi (forest ascetic) and to the left a man holds a bow and two arrows. There have been so many iterations of the Soga Brothers revenge story that it is difficult to know exactly what scene we are seeing here.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. .
Dimensions: ôban triptych (each sheet approx. 36.3 x 24.5 cm)
Signed: Yoshiiku ga

SKU: YII045