Comments - Terrific kabuki portrait of Bando Shuka I as the courtesan Funakoshi, who is in reality the Princess Wakana, in the play "Shiranui monogatari." She looks up with a coy smile as she watches two butterflies darting about above, holding a length of red brocade cloth in her hand. Her outer kimono is shaded from light to dark gray with a design of cherry blossoms and spider webs, worn over a red tie-dyed kimono and red under robe. Her hair is adorned with a large comb and many decorative hairpins. An enormous spider with butterflies caught in it fills the background, creating a dramatic backdrop against the black night sky. A fantastic design, beautifully composed and detailed, also in the collection of the British Museum.
Artist - Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)
Image Size - 14 3/8" x 9 3/4"
Condition - With excellent color and detail. A couple small wormholes in subject, repaired from reverse. A few areas of faint spotting and ink offsetting in subject. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.
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