KUNISADA • 狐と初音の太鼓 • 日本の木版画 • 浮世絵 - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)
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Two-sheet Ōban tate-e ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) from the Edo period, depicting Kitsune Tadanobu and Shizuka Gozen from Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, dating to 1854, in fair condition.
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Description from the seller
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada / Toyokuni III (歌川国貞・三代豊国, 1786–1865)
Title: Untitled — identified by the role cartouches: 狐忠信 Kitsune Tadanobu (left sheet) and 静御前 Shizuka Gozen (right sheet)
Subject: Yakusha-e (kabuki actor print) — a scene from Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜), "Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees"
Format: Ōban tate-e diptych, two separate sheets, each approx. 36 × 24 cm
Technique: Nishiki-e (full-colour woodblock print)
Date: Kaei 7 (1854), 6th month — combined round aratame (改) censor and date seal on each sheet
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Condition: Excellent colour and impression — bright, fresh and well-registered. The paper is firm and subtle. A very unique design! Please refer to the images for full condition detail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
About the print
Few moments in the kabuki repertoire were printed as often, or loved as well, as the fox and the drum. In Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, Yoshitsune's mistress Shizuka Gozen carries the Hatsune no tsuzumi, a hand-drum given her by her lover — and unknown to her, its two heads are made from the skins of a pair of foxes. Their child follows the drum in the shape of Satō Tadanobu, Yoshitsune's loyal retainer, guarding Shizuka through the cherry hills of Yoshino for the sake of the parents he can hear inside it. The recognition scene at Kawatsura Hōgen's mansion, in which the fox is unmasked and finally given the drum, is the best known passage of the whole play.
Kunisada stages exactly that suspended instant. On the right, Shizuka kneels on a patterned mat at the edge of a palace veranda, robed in layered pink, red and indigo with peony and pine-bark roundels, a blossom-laden hair ornament above her brow, the little drum lifted to her shoulder. On the left, Tadanobu has come to a halt on the boards, his head turned back, his mouth open — a man arrested mid-motion by a sound only he understands. His costume is the one the role demands: rose-red haori over pale blue nagabakama strewn with black-and-gold cart-wheel roundels, the wheel motif long associated with the part. Between them a bank of blossoming cherry falls across pale bamboo blinds; behind, stylised water and gilded cloud-bands close the scene off like a painted screen.
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 / Toyokuni III (歌川国貞・三代豊国, 1786–1865)
Title: Untitled — identified by the role cartouches: 狐忠信 Kitsune Tadanobu (left sheet) and 静御前 Shizuka Gozen (right sheet)
Subject: Yakusha-e (kabuki actor print) — a scene from Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜), "Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees"
Format: Ōban tate-e diptych, two separate sheets, each approx. 36 × 24 cm
Technique: Nishiki-e (full-colour woodblock print)
Date: Kaei 7 (1854), 6th month — combined round aratame (改) censor and date seal on each sheet
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Condition: Excellent colour and impression — bright, fresh and well-registered. The paper is firm and subtle. A very unique design! Please refer to the images for full condition detail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
About the print
Few moments in the kabuki repertoire were printed as often, or loved as well, as the fox and the drum. In Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, Yoshitsune's mistress Shizuka Gozen carries the Hatsune no tsuzumi, a hand-drum given her by her lover — and unknown to her, its two heads are made from the skins of a pair of foxes. Their child follows the drum in the shape of Satō Tadanobu, Yoshitsune's loyal retainer, guarding Shizuka through the cherry hills of Yoshino for the sake of the parents he can hear inside it. The recognition scene at Kawatsura Hōgen's mansion, in which the fox is unmasked and finally given the drum, is the best known passage of the whole play.
Kunisada stages exactly that suspended instant. On the right, Shizuka kneels on a patterned mat at the edge of a palace veranda, robed in layered pink, red and indigo with peony and pine-bark roundels, a blossom-laden hair ornament above her brow, the little drum lifted to her shoulder. On the left, Tadanobu has come to a halt on the boards, his head turned back, his mouth open — a man arrested mid-motion by a sound only he understands. His costume is the one the role demands: rose-red haori over pale blue nagabakama strewn with black-and-gold cart-wheel roundels, the wheel motif long associated with the part. Between them a bank of blossoming cherry falls across pale bamboo blinds; behind, stylised water and gilded cloud-bands close the scene off like a painted screen.
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
高さ
36 cm
幅
48 cm
作品タイトル
KUNISADA • The Fox and the Hatsune Drum • Japanese Woodblock Print • Ukiyo-e
コンディション
Fair condition
来歴
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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