KUNISADA — 伊賀越復讐譚連作 — 日本木版画 - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)
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Original Edo-period Japanese woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III), titled KUNISADA — The Igagoe Vendetta Cycle — Japanese Woodblock Print, an Ōban tate-e of about 36 × 24 cm, with Nishiki-e colouring and burnishing, in fair condition from a private collection.
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Description from the seller
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada I / Toyokuni III (歌川国貞・三代歌川豊国, 1786–1865)
Roles & actors: Karaki Masaemon (唐木政右衛門), played by Nakamura Utaemon (中村歌右衛門) — right cartouche; Konda Dainaiki (誉田大内記), played by Mimasu Daigorō (三枡大五郎) — left cartouche
Play: The Igagoe vendetta cycle — Igagoe dōchū sugoroku (伊賀越道中双六) or a related Iga-goe piece
Date: c. 1847–1852 (Kōka 4 – Kaei 5)
Format: Ōban tate-e — approx. 36 × 24 cm
Technique: Nishiki-e (full-colour woodblock) with burnishing (shōmenzuri)
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Paper & condition
Excellent colour and impression. The burnished textile pattern is intact and catches the light when the sheet is tilted. One centre fold. The paper is firm and supple.
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About the print
The subject comes from the Iga-goe cycle, one of the three great vendetta narratives of the Japanese stage alongside the Soga plays and Chūshingura. It dramatises the real revenge killing of 1634, in which the swordsman Araki Mataemon helped his brother-in-law Watanabe Kazuma run down his father's murderer — the story reaching the stage as Chikamatsu Hanji's Igagoe dōchū sugoroku of 1783, where Araki becomes Karaki Masaemon and the pursuit is laid out, as the title says, like a game of road-sugoroku. Konda Dainaiki is Masaemon's lord, the man who grants him leave from service so that he can join the vendetta — the scene that sets the whole journey in motion.
Kunisada stages the two men in tight half-length against a graded blue ground: Masaemon above, arms spread, a long shafted weapon at his shoulder and his costume in blacks and dull purples; Dainaiki below in a green robe with white crests and a grey dotted formal over-garment, his brows drawn down. It is the compressed, close-cropped kind of actor sheet Kunisada was producing in enormous numbers by 1850 — but this is a good one, with the burnishing in the dark textiles still doing its work.
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: Utagawa Kunisada I / Toyokuni III (歌川国貞・三代歌川豊国, 1786–1865)
Roles & actors: Karaki Masaemon (唐木政右衛門), played by Nakamura Utaemon (中村歌右衛門) — right cartouche; Konda Dainaiki (誉田大内記), played by Mimasu Daigorō (三枡大五郎) — left cartouche
Play: The Igagoe vendetta cycle — Igagoe dōchū sugoroku (伊賀越道中双六) or a related Iga-goe piece
Date: c. 1847–1852 (Kōka 4 – Kaei 5)
Format: Ōban tate-e — approx. 36 × 24 cm
Technique: Nishiki-e (full-colour woodblock) with burnishing (shōmenzuri)
----------------------------------------
Paper & condition
Excellent colour and impression. The burnished textile pattern is intact and catches the light when the sheet is tilted. One centre fold. The paper is firm and supple.
--------------------------------------------
About the print
The subject comes from the Iga-goe cycle, one of the three great vendetta narratives of the Japanese stage alongside the Soga plays and Chūshingura. It dramatises the real revenge killing of 1634, in which the swordsman Araki Mataemon helped his brother-in-law Watanabe Kazuma run down his father's murderer — the story reaching the stage as Chikamatsu Hanji's Igagoe dōchū sugoroku of 1783, where Araki becomes Karaki Masaemon and the pursuit is laid out, as the title says, like a game of road-sugoroku. Konda Dainaiki is Masaemon's lord, the man who grants him leave from service so that he can join the vendetta — the scene that sets the whole journey in motion.
Kunisada stages the two men in tight half-length against a graded blue ground: Masaemon above, arms spread, a long shafted weapon at his shoulder and his costume in blacks and dull purples; Dainaiki below in a green robe with white crests and a grey dotted formal over-garment, his brows drawn down. It is the compressed, close-cropped kind of actor sheet Kunisada was producing in enormous numbers by 1850 — but this is a good one, with the burnishing in the dark textiles still doing its work.
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
王朝様式/時代
Edo Period (1600-1868)
原産国
Japan
帰属
Original
作品タイトル
KUNISADA — The Igagoe Vendetta Cycle — Japanese Woodblock Print
コンディション
Fair condition
来歴
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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