KUNISADA • 船難の情景における天日坊 • 日本木版画 - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)
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Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III), a two-sheet Ōban tate-e diptych in Nishiki-e depicting Tenichibō in a shipwreck scene, Edo period (mid-1850s), Japan, with original/authentic attribution, height 36 cm, width 48 cm, in fair condition, from a private collection.
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Description from the seller
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞, 1786–1865), signing as Utagawa Toyokuni III
Subject: Untitled kabuki scene; subject identified via role cartouches as a Tenichibō drama
Date: Edo period, mid-1850s
Format: Ōban tate-e diptych, two seperate sheets each ca. 36*24cm
Technique: Nishiki-e (full-colour woodblock)
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Condition: Very good colour and impression — bright, fresh and well-registered. The diptych was professionally restored from an Edo-period album: the original album folds (one horizontal, one vertical) have been flattened and the sheets stabilised, so the paper is now firm and supple. Apart from those old, now-restored fold lines, a clean and well-preserved pair. Good condition overall. Please refer to the images for full condition detail.
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About the print
This diptych stages a scene from a kabuki drama built around Tenichibō, the itinerant priest turned impostor at the centre of one of Edo Japan's most notorious 18th-century scandal tales — a commoner who claimed descent from the shogun and was ultimately unmasked and executed. The story became a recurring subject for kabuki and kōdan storytelling through the 19th century, staged under several different treatments before its best-known dramatization, Kawatake Mokuami's Gojūsan-tsugi Tenichibō, reached the stage in 1874. Here the artist sets the drama's fugitives aboard a storm-tossed boat, with Tenichibō's confederate diving into the waves with a length of timber as a swordsman looks on from the wrecked vessel above — a stock device for staging peril and pursuit at sea in mid-to-late Edo kabuki-e.
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 (歌川国貞, 1786–1865), signing as Utagawa Toyokuni III
Subject: Untitled kabuki scene; subject identified via role cartouches as a Tenichibō drama
Date: Edo period, mid-1850s
Format: Ōban tate-e diptych, two seperate sheets each ca. 36*24cm
Technique: Nishiki-e (full-colour woodblock)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Condition: Very good colour and impression — bright, fresh and well-registered. The diptych was professionally restored from an Edo-period album: the original album folds (one horizontal, one vertical) have been flattened and the sheets stabilised, so the paper is now firm and supple. Apart from those old, now-restored fold lines, a clean and well-preserved pair. Good condition overall. Please refer to the images for full condition detail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
About the print
This diptych stages a scene from a kabuki drama built around Tenichibō, the itinerant priest turned impostor at the centre of one of Edo Japan's most notorious 18th-century scandal tales — a commoner who claimed descent from the shogun and was ultimately unmasked and executed. The story became a recurring subject for kabuki and kōdan storytelling through the 19th century, staged under several different treatments before its best-known dramatization, Kawatake Mokuami's Gojūsan-tsugi Tenichibō, reached the stage in 1874. Here the artist sets the drama's fugitives aboard a storm-tossed boat, with Tenichibō's confederate diving into the waves with a length of timber as a swordsman looks on from the wrecked vessel above — a stock device for staging peril and pursuit at sea in mid-to-late Edo kabuki-e.
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 • Tenichibō in a Shipwreck Scene • Japanese Woodblock Print
コンディション
Fair condition
来歴
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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