Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙) Title: Bando Juzaburo III as Mizuhiki Seigoro (from the series Collected Portraits of Shunsen) Date: 1929 Format: Dai-ōban tate-e (approx. 40 × 27 cm) Publisher: Watanabe Shōzaburō (with "Watanabe-kō" seal) - The seal is a bit hidden under Mica (Image-3) Signature: Shunsen ga (春仙画) Seals: Artist's seal "Shunsen" (red square seal), approval seal "Natori" lower left, publisher's seal "Watanabe-kō" lower left Edition: Limited to 150 copies, available only through subscription sale Impression & Color: Excellent. Strong, fresh colors throughout with finely preserved details. The blacks are rich and deep, the skin tones subtle and naturalistic. Paper: Very good condition with intact original deckle edges. Minor soiling at the top middle which is barely visible due to Mica. 1. Pre-War Shin-hanga from Watanabe Shunsen's prints are considered some of the highest achievements in Kabuki portraiture in Japanese woodblock printing, and they typically sell for $1,000–1,500 worldwide. Even at that price, it remains relatively affordable for a pre-war Watanabe publication. For comparison, Hasui landscapes of similar technical quality now regularly fetch high four-figure sums—$3,000–8,000 for good examples. Bijin-ga (beauty prints) and landscapes have risen sharply in recent years, while actor prints (yakusha-e) remain significantly undervalued. This market asymmetry presents a rare opportunity. Shunsen's pre-war actor prints were produced to the same exacting Watanabe standards as the legendary Hasui and Shinsui sheets—the same master carvers, the same master printers, the same limited editions—yet prices lag far behind comparable landscape and bijin-ga prints. 2. About the Print This striking ōkubi-e (large-head portrait) shows a Kabuki actor in intense contemplation, a delicate tea bowl held in his hands. He wears a black kimono with a distinctive family crest (mon) on the sleeve; layered robes in blue-green and blue are visible at the collar. His face carries extraordinary psychological depth—the furrowed brow, the downcast eyes with bluish shadows beneath, and the slightly parted lips convey a moment of profound emotion. The gray background displays the characteristic baren marks (burnishing traces) that lend subtle texture and movement—a hallmark of the finest Watanabe productions.