Comments - Fantastic kabuki triptych featuring portraits of characters from the play "Ichinomori kujira no oyose." From left, the actors are Otani Tomoemon V as Shinchunagon Taira no Tomomori, Sawamura Tossho II as Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and Bando Hikosaburo V as Suke no Tsubone. Tomomori appears as a ghost, still bleeding from wounds inflicted during his defeat at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani at the hands of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He clings to the anchor with which he committed suicide by leaping into the sea tied to it, his wet hair spreading out wildly around his blue-tinged face. Yoshitoshi stares at him out of the corner of his eyes, his lips tightly pressed together. He wears a fine vest over a suit of armor, a white sash tied around his forehead. At right, Suke no Tsubone, the nurse to the child emperor Antoku, looks at Yoshitsune with a sullen frown. Her long hair falls over her shoulders and her white kimono is faintly embossed. The background is patterned with diagonal bands of bold, colorful patterns, creating a stunning backdrop for the portrait insets. A terrific and rare early Yoshitoshi kabuki triptych, also in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. We've never come across this print before.

Artist - Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892)

Image Size - 14" x 28 1/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent and detail as shown. Three separate panels. Slight paper remnants on reverse from previous backing. Small loss at edge, repaired. Slight soiling. Please see photos for details. Nice overall.