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A wonderfully narrative 1848 Kabuki print by Utagawa Kunisada I, working under the name Toyokuni III, depicting four characters from Godairiki Koi no Fūjime, a celebrated drama of love, jealousy, betrayal and revenge.
Rather than the single imposing actor portrait more commonly encountered in Kunisada's enormous theatrical output, this horizontal composition assembles four figures into a remarkably lively scene. A basket overflowing with fish anchors one side while swords, a fan and the characters' dramatically contrasting costumes carry the action across the sheet. The pale geometric backdrop allows the saturated blue, red and patterned garments to stand forward with unusual clarity.
The print is signed Ōju Toyokuni ga (“Toyokuni, by request”) with the Toshidama seal and was published by Tsujiya Yasubei in Edo in the seventh month of 1848.
Godairiki Koi no Fūjime was a popular Kabuki drama built around the ill-fated relationship between the geisha Koman and a Satsuma samurai, complicated by the treacherous Sasano Sangobei. The individual characters are identified within the composition, making the sheet both a theatrical portrait and a compact visual record of an Edo-period performance.
Details
Title: Godairiki Koi no Fūjime dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">Artist: Utagawa Kunisada I, also known as Toyokuni III (1786–1864)
Place: Edo, Japan
Publisher: Tsujiya Yasubei
Date: 1848, seventh month
Period: Edo period
Format: Horizontal ōban nishiki-e woodblock print
Technique: Color woodblock printing on Japanese paper
Signature: Ōju Toyokuni ga, with Toshidama seal
Subject: Kabuki actors and characters from Godairiki Koi no Fūjime
Dimensions: Approximately 14 × 9½ inches
Condition
Good antique condition with attractive surviving color and crisp printed detail. Toning, scattered staining and foxing, light creasing, and areas of surface wear are present, with minor edge and corner wear consistent with age. Some fading is evident, particularly in the more delicate background colors. The sheet remains visually strong, with the blues, reds and patterned costumes retaining considerable presence. Please examine photographs closely for condition.
Subject
Utagawa Kunisada was the dominant designer of Kabuki actor prints in nineteenth-century Edo, chronicling the actors, roles and performances that captivated the city's theater-going public.
This 1848 composition is particularly engaging for the amount of theatrical information Kunisada compresses into a single sheet. Four characters share the stage rather than appearing as isolated portraits, surrounded by props that help turn the print into a miniature dramatic scene. The result feels less like a formal actor portrait and more like catching a moment in the middle of the performance.
Topic
Utagawa Kunisada; Toyokuni III; Godairiki Koi no Fūjime; Kabuki; yakusha-e; ukiyo-e; Edo period; Japanese woodblock prints; nineteenth-century Japanese theater.
