UTAGAWA KUNIMASA (1773–1810) Title: The actors Matsumoto Kōshirō as Soga no Gorō Tokimune (曽我五郎時宗) and Ichikawa Omezō as Kobayashi no Asahina (小林朝比奈) Signature: 國政画 (Kunimasa ga) Date: Late Edo period, c. 1795–1805 Format: Hosoban (narrow vertical format) approx, 32 × 15 cm Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga), polychrome (nishiki-e) Genre: Yakusha-e (actor print) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Paper & condition The print is in a fair condition with moderate soiling, toning. The composition is well preserved The paper has some repairs on the margins. Fair condition overall! Please check the images carefully! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Scene Utagawa Kunimasa is one of the most admired and least common designers of the early Utagawa school. He came to Edo from Aizu and worked as a textile dyer before training under Utagawa Toyokuni I. His career as a print designer was short, roughly the second half of the 1790s into the early 1800s. His actor portraits are known for their strong, characterful likenesses. Kunimasa prints are far scarcer on the market than those of his teacher or his fellow pupils. The subject comes from the Soga story, the most performed revenge tale in Edo kabuki. In 1193 the brothers Soga Jūrō and Soga Gorō Tokimune avenged their father by killing his murderer, Kudō Suketsune. Every New Year, the Edo theatres staged a new Soga play. Gorō is the hot-tempered hero, played in the bold aragoto style. Kobayashi no Asahina is the good-humoured strongman who holds him back until the time is right. The pairing of the two became one of the stock images of the Edo stage.