Antique Japanese Woodblock Print by Toyohara Kunichika -Hero Kiyomori- c.1867 For Sale

a.imagelink {color:#0000FF;} a:hover.imagelink {color:#0000FF;} a:visited.imagelink {color:#800080;} a.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #0000FF; } a:visited.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #800080; } Antique Japanese Original Woodblock Print by Toyohara Kunichika Hero Kiyomori- c.1867

Presented is a beautiful Japanese full oban-size woodblock print by the renowned Meiji-period artist Toyohara Kunichika (1835 - 1900).

The print presented depicts a handsome portrait of a Kabuki actor Shika Kai Suehiro portraying the historical figure Komatsu Sammi Kiyomori, the head of the Tairo clan as descriped in the early Medieval Tale of Heike ot Heike Monogatari.

The Heike Monogatari recounts the epic Genpei Wars of 1181-1185, a defining conflict in Japanese history. This saga narrates how an alliance of clans, led by the Minamoto, ousted the powerful Taira and their supporters from the capital. The Minamoto's relentless pursuit drove the Taira to the southern island of Kyushu, where they sought to annihilate the remnants of their adversaries. This is a beautiful sneak peek into the historical Japanese figures immortalized in Kabuki theater plays, which were performed for centuries.

One of the great masters of ukiyo-e, Toyohara Kunichika (豊原国周, 1835-1900) was inspired by the plays, actors, and customs of Kabuki theatre. His colorful prints are records of a long-lost, decadent underworld of Edo. As a young man, he studied with the ukiyo-e artist Chikanobu, from whom he received his artist name. He then apprenticed under Kunisada and began to produce actor prints.

He was born Oshima Yasohachi on June 30, 1835, in Edo, and was the son of a bathhouse owner. At 13, he apprenticed under Utagawa Kunisada, developing a passion for Kabuki theater. Most of his prolific woodblock prints were commissioned by Kabuki theaters. Privately, he was known for his indulgent lifestyle, including heavy drinking and womanizing. Today, art historians regard him as the "last master of ukiyo-e." Unlike most Japanese woodblock artists of the period, he used strong reds and dark purples, often as background colors, rather than the softer hues that had previously been used. These new colors were made of aniline dyes imported in the Meiji period from Germany. When portraying people, he only occasionally showed figures wearing Western dress, despite its growing popularity in Japan.

The print was made using the Japanese woodblock technique during the lifetime of the artist.

AUTHOR: Toyohara Kunichika
TITLE: Takekawa and Okoro
CREATED: c.1867
PAPER: washi paper
METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing
PRINTED: Lifetime printing circa 1860s
PRINT SIZE: Full oban size 14" X 9.25"
 
Condition: good impression, slight toning, some minor rubbing and soiling. Margins trimmed
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