Ichikawa Uzaemon XV as the Gardener Kichigoro, 1921 - Fascinating portrait of Ichikawa Uzaemon XV as the gardener Kichigoro, tenderly holding a baby to his chest as he stares intently off into the darkness. His chin is shadowed in grave from not shaving, and his hair is pulled back and swept up into a knot at the side of his head. He wears a blue striped kimono over a black undergarment. Beautifully detailed with soft pink shading on the ear, nose, and fingertips, and on the child's hair and flushed pink face. A brooding, melancholic image, with the swirling baren marks in the deep gray background adding an ominous air. The blocks for all of Toyonari's actor prints were destroyed in the 1923 Kanto earthquake, and he moved onto other subject matter after that, so kabuki prints by him are extremely rare. From a limited edition of 150 prints.

Publisher - Watanabe
Signed - Toyonari ga
Sealed - "Toyonari" in red rectangular seal at bottom left margin
Dated - 1921 (Taisho 10) in circle

Artist - Yamamura Toyonari (1885 - 1942)

Image Size - 10 3/4" x 14 3/4"

Condition - With excellent color and detail. Some faint toning at edges. Please see photos for details. Very nice overall.