Bando Mitsugoro VII as the Mute, 1922 - Fantastic image of Bando Mitsugoro VII as the Mute in the kabuki play "Sannin Katawa." He holds a card on a string around his neck marked "oshi" or "mute," looking up out of the corners of his eyes, his lips firmly pressed together. He wears a rust colored kamishimo with motifs on the shoulders over a checked kimono in gray, red, and white. A beautifully drawn, perceptive portrait.

This design was part of Toyonari's best-known work, a series of twelve actor prints titled "Flowers of the Theatrical World." The publisher Watanabe Shozaburo issued the series in an initial edition of 150 prints. Sadly, the woodblocks for the series were destroyed in 1923 during the Great Kanto Earthquake, so these prints are extremely rare and almost never seen outside of museum collections. An excellent choice for the discerning shin hanga or kabuki collector.

Artist - Yamamura Toyonari (Koka) (1885 - 1942)

Image Size - 15 5/8" x 10 5/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Please see photos for details. Very nice overall.