Eighteen Kabuki Makeups - Fantastic portrait from an outstanding series by Tadamasa Ueno illustrating eighteen classic styles of kabuki makeup titled "Kabuki Kumadori Juhachiban." Watanabe published this great series from 1940 - 1941, issuing one print per month for eighteen months with a bonus, 19th print showing a Sanbaso makeup for New Year's. These bold designs feature incredibly expressive figures, the compositions often dramatically cropped to focus on the facial features and hairstyles. Rendered with strong calligraphic strokes and vivid color, these images bring the spectacular world of kabuki to life. Only a single edition of this series was ever produced and these prints were never reissued. Images from this WWII series are quite rare and are a terrific choice for a kabuki or shin hanga enthusiast.

Special Note - Beautiful burnished detail on a few of the costume elements.
Publisher - Watanabe, with "E" seal, 1932 - 1942

Artist - Tadamasa Ueno (1904 - 1970)

Image Size - 14 7/8" x 9 7/8"

Condition - With excellent color and detail. Faint spotting in subject with a couple small drying holes at corners. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.