Comments - Terrific kabuki portrait of Nakamura Shikan IV as the great warrior Higuchi no Jiro Kanemitsu, a retainer of the twelfth century Minamoto warrior Yoshinaka. After Yoshinaka's death, Kanemitsu rescued his master's son and escaped, disguised as the boatman Matsuemon. Here, the boatman is perched in a pine tree to keep watch, grimacing with alarm as he spies rival Genji troops coming after him in the distance. He shields his eyes with his hand, his hair blowing wildly around his face, still gripping an oar in his other hand. He wears a blue shirt with a distinctive tie-dyed pattern favored by boatmen over a black undergarment, his colorful kimono pushed down to the waist. The pine tree is rendered in beautiful calligraphic strokes. A bold composition with fantastic detail, including fine line work in the hair and burnishing in the black undergarment.

Artist - Kunichika (1835 - 1900)

Image Size - 28" x 14"

Condition - This triptych with excellent color and detail. Three panels attached at the seams. Some minor offsetting. Backed with old paper. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.