Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

1786-1865

Actors Bando Hikosaburo V as Sasaki Uemon, Onoe Kikugoro IV as mekake [mistress] Katsuragi jitsuha Koshiragiku, and Kawarazaki Gonjuro I as Kano Gagakunosuke

signed Toyokuni ga within the artist's Toshidama cartouche, with pawlonia leaf publisher's seal of Tsutaya Kichizo of Koeido, censor's seal aratame (examined), and date seal Mi-shi (year of the snake [1857], 4th lunar month)

oban tate-e triptych 14 1/8 by 29 1/8 in., 35.8 by 74.1 cm

This composition depicts the actor Bando Hikosaburo V (1832-1877) in the role of Sasaki Uemon, the actor Onoe Kikugoro IV (1808-1860) in the role of mekake (mistress) Katsuragi jitsuha Koshiragiku, and the actor Kawarazaki Gonjuro I (Ichikawa Danjuro IX, 1838-1903) in the role of Kano Gagakunosuke from the play Revenge at the Old Market Place (Katakiuchi Uwasa no Furuichi), staged at the Ichimura Theater in Edo in the 4th lunar month of 1857.

Reference:
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, from the Bigelow Collection, accession no. 11.40759 (right sheet)

(inv. no. 10-3957)

price: $950