Woodblock print - Washi Paper - Bunraku theater - Hasegawa Konobu Sadanobu IV (1914-1999) - The Wisteria Maiden- Japan - 1963 (Showa 38) Important Intangible Cultural Property Bunraku Doll Print Collection The Wisteria Maiden Signed woodblock print by Hasegawa Sadanobu IV (Hasegawa Konobu), Japan (1914-1999) from the much sought after Bunraku theatre Doll Print Series. The Wisteria Maiden is one part of a transformation dance (hengemono), a dance with many changes of the character with many role and thus costume changes. It dates from the 19th century. It is a lament of a woman whose lover promised fidelity, but left and found another woman. Close to the end there is a solo-passage, where the dancer a dance performs while drinking sake. Then (s)he repeats the same dance, but in a drunken state. Wisteria stands as a symbol for love. Originally created for the Kabuki theatre, it was adapted by the Bunraku puppet theatre. nteresting is that the person is painted on the print like a puppet, not like a human, with puppet hands and puppet head, so very artificial. Nihon meibutsu Osaka bunrakuza ningyo gashu (Famous products of Japan: collected pictures of the puppets of the Osaka puppet theater) Beautiful large original colored print, hand printed on Washi paper In white passapartout Showa 38 (1963) published by Uchida art (Kyoto) Very Good Condition, please view photos 40 x 28cm Large Oban 100 gr Print of puppets of famous persons from the Bunraku-theatre Bunraku (文楽), also known as Ningyō jōruri, is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of the 17th century. Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance: the Ningyōtsukai (puppeteers), the tayū (chanters), and shamisen musicians. Ukiyo-e Noh Kyogen Joruri Kabuki