{"product_id":"toyohara-kunichika-1835-1900","title":"Toyohara KUNICHIKA (1835–1900)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSoga Moyo Tateshi no Goshozome\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e1863\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_1mf _1mj\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eDimensions: Height 35.5 cm x Width 73.3 cm (14 x 28.8 in)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_1mf _1mj\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_1mf _1mj\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eWoodblock print on paper\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_1mf _1mj\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_1mf _1mj\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_1mf _1mj\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToyohara Kunichika was one of the premier \u003ci\u003eukiyo-e\u003c\/i\u003e master printmakers of late 19th-century Japan, famed for continuing the vibrant lineage of the Utagawa school during the transition from the Edo to the Meiji period. A student of Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III), Kunichika established himself as a preeminent master of \u003ci\u003eyakusha-e\u003c\/i\u003e (actor portraits). Renowned for his dramatic compositions, expressive facial features, and dynamic use of color, his work captured the gold standard of theatrical life in Edo-Meiji Japan, recording the likenesses and stage presence of the era's leading kabuki stars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis sheet forms a vivid scene from the kabuki play \u003ci\u003eSoga Moyo Tateshi no Goshozome\u003c\/i\u003e, staged at Edo’s Ichimura Theater in 1863. The composition centers on Gosho no Gorozo, who pauses his \u003ci\u003eshakuhachi\u003c\/i\u003e flute to cast an irritated look backward at a smiling beauty playing the \u003ci\u003eshamisen\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the visual language of Edo-period Japan, kabuki served as a central site for exploring fluid gender constructs. Following an 1629 government ban on female performers, kabuki evolved into an entirely male domain, giving rise to the \u003ci\u003eonnagata: \u003c\/i\u003emale actors who specialized exclusively in female roles. Rather than mere female impersonation, the \u003ci\u003eonnagata\u003c\/i\u003e performance was understood as an stylized, idealized construction of femininity itself, shaping beauty standards and gendered aesthetics across Japanese society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this print, Kunichika captures these layered dynamics of gender and performance against a softly shaded night sky. The composition depicts celebrated male actors of the era, including Onoe Eisaburo IV, Ichimura Uzaemon XIII, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Seki Sanjuro III, and Onoe Kikujiro II, embodying both male and female identities on stage. Through intricate textile patterns, expressive line work, and deep pigments, Kunichika highlights the fluid interplay between sex, costume, and theatrical persona that defined the height of 1860s kabuki print culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"section-header\"\u003eCondition -\u003c\/span\u003e Some losses to the margins, particularly top, left and right upper side.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Lykos Galerie","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58588826993021,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0943\/7999\/9613\/files\/Kunichika-Photoroom_e25d2634-be16-45b6-ad97-6551b6bd9fb7.png?v=1787736904","url":"https:\/\/lykosgalerie.com\/products\/toyohara-kunichika-1835-1900","provider":"Lykos Galerie","version":"1.0","type":"link"}