Triptych - Paper - 1850-1900 - Kabuki Toyohara Kunichika

A superb triptych of ukiyo-e Japanese prints, depicting a dramatic nocturnal Kabuki scene.
We can distinguish several famous actors, identified by their nameplates, in a moonlit confrontation scene.
The artist Toyohara Kunichika, a student of Utagawa Kunisada, is renowned for his expressive portraits of actors and his compositions in intensely colored palettes typical of the late 19th century.
• Artist: Toyohara Kunichika (豊原国周)
• Period: around 1880–1890, Meiji period
• Title: Kabuki theatre scene (title not specified, complete triptych)
• Technique: woodblock print (nishiki-e) – color impression on washi paper
• Dimensions: about 36 × 75 cm (3 vertical sheets, ōban format)
• Condition: Good overall – colors are fresh, with light creases and minor marginal restorations, and correct alignment of the panels.
• Stamps: the artist's signature, and the censor's and editor's seals visible on the right panel.

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Artistic context:

Kunichika was one of the last great masters of ukiyo-e, active during the transition between the Edo period and the Meiji era.
Their works vividly capture the theatricality, the emotions, and the costumes of kabuki, often inspired by real performances.
The mix of traditional and modern elements (the military uniform on the left) suggests a contemporary scene for its era, illustrating Japan in the midst of modernization.


Shipment with tracking number from Japan