Paul Binnie

Scottish, b. 1967

A Great Mirror of the Actors of the Heisei Period: Ichikawa Danjuro as Benkei in Kanjincho
(Heisei yakusha o-kagami: Heisei yakusha o-kagami: Danjuro - Benkei)

the series and print title cartouches at upper left, with hand numbered limited edition cartouche, sanjuni/hyaku (36/100), signed below in kanji, Bin-ni, with red artist's seal Binnie, date seal Heisei kyu-nen(Heisei 9 [1997]), numbered and signed in pencil on the bottom margin, 36/100, Paul Binnie, 1997

dai oban tate-e 16 3/8 by 12 1/4 in., 41.7 by 31 cm

This woodblock print illustrates Ichikawa Danjuro XII (1946-2013) in the popular role of Benkei from the dance drama Kanjincho (The Subscription List). Danjuro XII, an acclaimed tachiyaku (specializing in male roles) actor, was the most recent actor to carry the legendary name established in 1693 by Ichikawa Danjuro I (1660-1704). It is widely assumed that his son, Ichikawa Ebizo XI (b. 1977, who recently put on a spectacular performance only a block away from our gallery at Carnegie Hall in March 2016) will assume the name at some point in the near future.

Reference:
Paul Binnie: A Dialogue with the Past - The First 100 Japanese Prints, 2007, p. 89, no. 48

(inv. no. C-3311)

price: $650