Series; Thirty Portraits of Contemporary Actors in Kabuki Plays
Nakamura Tokizo III as Yamauba Yaegiri in Komochi, 1952 - Terrific kabuki portrait of Nakamura Tokizo III as Yamauba Yaegiri in the play "Komochi," the wife of Tokiyuki, who has abandoned her to avenge his father's death, forcing her to work in a brothel to support herself. After searching for him, she learns that he has instead been traveling as a tobacco salesman, enjoying himself rather than looking for his father's killer. She bitterly informs him that in the meantime, his father's death has been avenged, shaming him into committing suicide. Shunsen effectively conveys the simmering anger of the beauty, her eyes slightly narrow with rage as she holds a roll of tissue to her chin. She wears a purple outer kimono with black inserts patterned with writing, a bundle wrapped in striped blue cloth slung around her shoulder and a woven straw hat in her hand. The figure is set off by a silver mica background, and beautifully detailed with soft pink shading around the eyes and an embossed line along the side of the nose. A wonderfully expressive portrait.
Publisher - Watanabe, with 6 mm seal at lower right within image
Sealed - Signed "Shunsen saku," with red artist's leaf seal
Artist - Natori Shunsen (1886 - 1960)
Image Size - 14 5/8" x 9 3/4" + margins as shown
Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A few small spots. Please see photos for details. Good overall.