Comments - Handsome scene from a kabuki play based on the true story of the sixteen-year-old beauty Yaoya Oshichi. In 1681, Oshichi sought shelter in a temple after a fire and fell in love with the priest there. The next year she set fire to her own home in a desperate bid to see him again. The resulting massive fire burned a large section of Edo, and she was arrested and burned alive for her crime. Here, the fireman Dozaemon Denkichi stands before a fire tower with his lantern in hand as they search for the beauty. He wears a short jacket over a boldly patterned kimono and grips a shakujou staff in his other hand. The servant Osugi kneels at his feet, waving her hands in alarm as she looks up to see Oshichi throwing herself from the tower to her death. She hangs weightless in midair, her hands outspread and her knees tucked up. She wears a tie-dyed blue kimono edged with a red tie-dyed print, a strange expression on her face. The actors are Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Oshichi, Kawarazaki Gonjuro I as Denkichi, and Onoe Kikugoro IV as Osugi. A great composition in the unusual kakemono or vertical diptych design, a format seldom used for kabuki prints.

Artist - Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864)

Image Size - 28 3/8" x 9 3/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Two separate panels. Horizontal center fold in each panel. Loss at bottom left edge of bottom panel, slight thinning along left edge of top panel, a few holes, repaired. Slight soiling, a few creases. Please see photos for details.