Comments - Interesting kabuki scene from the story of Otake Dainichi Nyorai, a maid who served the Sakuma family. She was a devout Buddhist and gave all she could to the poor, eating very little herself. According to legend, a group of monks believed her to be reincarnation of the Nyorai Buddha after seeing a halo appear around her head when she knelt to pick up a few grains of rice. Here, Nakamura Shikan plays the head of the Sakuma family, sitting on a cushion and grinning rather evilly as he holds out a small package tied with yarn or ribbon. He wears a black coat with a burnished basket weave pattern over a blue and green plaid kimono, his thinning hair pulled back into a slender topknot. A brazier with red hot coals rests on the floor nearby, while a low folding screen behind him features a bird in a blossoming cherry or plum tree. An unusual subject, nicely detailed and colored.

Artist - Kunichika (1835 - 1900)

Image Size - 14 1/4" x 9 1/2" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A few small holes, thinning at corner, repaired. Slight soiling and creasing, slight rubbing at edges. Please see photos for details. Good overall.