Okano Kinemon Kanehide - 47浪人 - 日本木版画 - 浮世絵 - Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) - 日本 - Late Edo period

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada / Toyokuni III (歌川国貞 / 三代豊国, 1786–1865)
Title: The Syllable E: Ichikawa Shinsa I as Okano Kinemon Kanehide
Series: Seichū Gishi Den (誠忠義士傳) — Stories of the Faithful Samurai (the Forty-Seven Rōnin)

Technique: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e), colour (nishiki-e)
Date: Japan, 1864 (Genji 1, late Edo period)
Publisher: Daikokuya Kinzaburō (to confirm against the seal — see notes)
Format: Ōban tate-e, approx. 36 × 24.5cm
Signature: nanajūkyū-sai Toyokuni hitsu (七十九歳豊国筆) — "from the brush of Toyokuni, aged 79," with toshidama seal; a block-carver seal is also present
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1. Impression & Colors:

Fair color and impression. There is a ink transfer in the centre of the print affecting the composition. The same area has also some thinning in paper.

2. Paper:

Trimmed to the image with visible margins, consistent with album mounting. The paper displays the expected character of over 160 years of age. Some minor toning overall; Minor soiling. No significant damage, repairs, or losses. Please check the images!
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3. The Seichū Gishi Den Series: Loyalty, Theatre, and the Forty-Seven Rōnin

Kunisada's Seichū Gishi Den is one of the artist's most ambitious late-career series, depicting all forty-seven loyal retainers plus key associated figures as portrayed by the leading kabuki actors of the day. It is a masterful fusion of two of Edo Japan's great cultural obsessions — the Chūshingura vendetta legend and the kabuki theatre.

Each print pairs a historical warrior with a contemporary actor, giving us both a gallery of heroes and a snapshot of the Edo theatre world at its peak. With its consistent design, bold compositions, and rich biographical texts, the series is a collector's treasure — each sheet adds another chapter to Japan's most beloved tale of loyalty and sacrifice.