Kiyotada - The Eighteen Great Kabuki Plays

Kiyotada Torii IV

This print is the third in the Kabuki Jûhachiban (歌舞伎十八番, "The Eighteen Great Kabuki Plays") series of prints by the artist Kiyotada (also known as Tadakiyo). It depicts actor Ichikawa Danjûrô IX as the monk Narukami Shônin in the play Narukami, with an actor from the past as Taema-hime. Narukami was originally staged in 1684 at the Nakamura Theatre and starred Ichikawa Danjûrô I (who was also the playwright for this piece).

This series depicts roles from eighteen kabuki plays made famous by the Ichikawa Danjuro line of actors. Working under the artist's name of Tadakiyo, Kiyotada designed the Danjuro roles, and his father, Torii Kiyosada, drew the secondary figures.

Publisher: Hasegawa Sumi

Date: 1895

Condition: Very good color and condition. Print is backed and there's some minor stains as shown. Elaborate embossing.

Size: 14 1/4" x 9 1/2"

Genre: Ukiyo-e - Yakusha-e

Medium: Woodblock Print