Kunichika · Nakamura Shikan IV as the master thief Ishikawa Goemon · single-actor triptych, 1882 - Japan - Meiji period (1868-1912)
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€ 151
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Selected by Giovanni Bottero
Holds a master’s in Japanese art history with over 10 years’ expertise in Asian art.
Estimate € 300 - € 400
 | €151 | |
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 | €100 | |
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Meiji-period Japanese woodblock print, an Ōban tate-e triptych (three sheets, each about 35.5 × 23.5 cm) by Toyohara Kunichika, featuring Nakamura Shikan IV as Ishikawa Goemon in the role.
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Description from the seller
Artist: Toyohara Kunichika 豊原国周 (1835–1900), signed Ōju Toyohara Kunichika hitsu (應需 豊原国周筆), with the seal Toyohara Kunichika (豊原国周)
Title (cartouche): Ishikawa Goemon 石川五右衛門 / Nakamura Shikan 中村芝翫
Actor: Nakamura Shikan IV 四代目中村芝翫 (1831–1899)
Play: Ishikawa-zome Futatsudomoe no Shiranami 石川染双巴白浪
Publisher: Matsuo Kunizō 松尾国蔵
Date: Meiji 15 (1882)
Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga), nishiki-e (polychrome)
Format: Ōban tate-e triptych (three sheets), each sheet approx. 35.5 × 23.5 cm
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CONDITION
The colours are well preserved and the impression is strong. The shōmen-zuri (burnished printing) on the rope still flashes when the sheet is tilted to the light. There is moderate, even toning across all three sheets, and moderate soiling on the left sheet. The paper is firm and supple. Good condition overall. Please check the images!
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The Scene
Ishikawa Goemon was a real bandit leader of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was captured in 1594 and, with his son, boiled alive on the riverbank at Sanjō in Kyoto. Legend later added that he had tried to assassinate the ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. That story, together with the severity of his execution, made him one of the most popular subjects in jōruri and kabuki, and the plays about him grew into a whole tradition. Theatre accounts from the 1680s onward, Namiki Gohei's Kinmon Gosan no Kiri (1778), and later Goemon plays turned him into the defiant robber-hero of the stage. One of the best-known effects in the Goemon repertoire is the tsuzura-nuke. In this stage flight, Goemon escapes into the air carrying a wicker hamper (tsuzura) on his back, an effect devised for Zōho Futatsudomoe.
The role here is played by Nakamura Shikan IV. He was admired for his striking features and stage presence and was at his best in dance pieces. He could play women's roles, heroes and villains, and is remembered as the "last great actor of Edo kabuki" and the "Great Shikan". His looks were so admired that print designers reportedly complained they could never draw him as handsome as he really was.
The triptych uses the whole width of the three sheets for a single actor rather than a group scene. Scholten Japanese Art notes that Kunichika established this single-actor, three-panel format in the later years of his career. Kunichika was the leading actor-print designer of the Meiji period, and he spent much of his time backstage with the actors he drew.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Artist: Toyohara Kunichika 豊原国周 (1835–1900), signed Ōju Toyohara Kunichika hitsu (應需 豊原国周筆), with the seal Toyohara Kunichika (豊原国周)
Title (cartouche): Ishikawa Goemon 石川五右衛門 / Nakamura Shikan 中村芝翫
Actor: Nakamura Shikan IV 四代目中村芝翫 (1831–1899)
Play: Ishikawa-zome Futatsudomoe no Shiranami 石川染双巴白浪
Publisher: Matsuo Kunizō 松尾国蔵
Date: Meiji 15 (1882)
Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga), nishiki-e (polychrome)
Format: Ōban tate-e triptych (three sheets), each sheet approx. 35.5 × 23.5 cm
--------------------------------------------------------
CONDITION
The colours are well preserved and the impression is strong. The shōmen-zuri (burnished printing) on the rope still flashes when the sheet is tilted to the light. There is moderate, even toning across all three sheets, and moderate soiling on the left sheet. The paper is firm and supple. Good condition overall. Please check the images!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Scene
Ishikawa Goemon was a real bandit leader of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was captured in 1594 and, with his son, boiled alive on the riverbank at Sanjō in Kyoto. Legend later added that he had tried to assassinate the ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. That story, together with the severity of his execution, made him one of the most popular subjects in jōruri and kabuki, and the plays about him grew into a whole tradition. Theatre accounts from the 1680s onward, Namiki Gohei's Kinmon Gosan no Kiri (1778), and later Goemon plays turned him into the defiant robber-hero of the stage. One of the best-known effects in the Goemon repertoire is the tsuzura-nuke. In this stage flight, Goemon escapes into the air carrying a wicker hamper (tsuzura) on his back, an effect devised for Zōho Futatsudomoe.
The role here is played by Nakamura Shikan IV. He was admired for his striking features and stage presence and was at his best in dance pieces. He could play women's roles, heroes and villains, and is remembered as the "last great actor of Edo kabuki" and the "Great Shikan". His looks were so admired that print designers reportedly complained they could never draw him as handsome as he really was.
The triptych uses the whole width of the three sheets for a single actor rather than a group scene. Scholten Japanese Art notes that Kunichika established this single-actor, three-panel format in the later years of his career. Kunichika was the leading actor-print designer of the Meiji period, and he spent much of his time backstage with the actors he drew.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Details
Dynastic Style/Period
Meiji period (1868-1912)
Number of objects
1
Country of Origin
Japan
Attribution
Original
Title of artwork
Kunichika · Nakamura Shikan IV as the master thief Ishikawa Goemon · single-actor triptych, 1882
Condition
Good condition
Authenticity
Original/official
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