Comments - Fantastic kabuki portrait of Ichikawa Danjuro as the young thief and magician Jiraiya, set against a yellow backdrop covered with advertisements for various products. A popular folk hero, Jiraiya grips his sword in one hand while holding a wooden chest under his other arm. His hair is pulled back into a long pony tail, with shorter hair forming a shaggy halo above his head. He wears a red brocade kimono over a suit of armor, the sleeves of her green outer robe pushed down to the waist. He looks over his shoulder with a solemn frown. At center right, one of the advertisements features a bottle of "Miss Cherry, Eau Mysterieuse," with an image of a beauty on the bottle. Detailed with very fine line work in the hair and burnishing on the black trim of the chest. A terrific image and a great example of Meiji era advertising.

Artist - Kunichika (1835 - 1900)

Image Size - 28 1/4" x 14"

Condition - With excellent color and detail. Three panels attached at the seams. Partially backed with old paper. A few small losses and holes repaired from reverse. Some rubbing and soiling in subject. Some wrinkling and creasing as shown. Please see photos for details. Good overall.