Comments - Dramatic kabuki scene from the play "Hanano no Saga Nekomata-zoshi" showing a samurai attacking a blind monk or priest, striking him with a wooden paddle at a building site. The dazed victim falls to the ground, reaching out for assistance. At right, a frightened beauty watches in astonishment, clinging to the waist of a samurai waving a sword threateningly above his head. He wears a dark blue kimono with a handsome burnished geometric pattern. Wooden scaffolding rises next to the structure at left, with a trowel and smaller paddle scattered on the ground below. A small pine tree frames a stone lantern in the background against the dark night sky. From right, the actors are Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Naoshima Tairyo, Onoe Baiko IV as the concubine Kocho (R), Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Takayama Kengyo (C), and Nakayama Ichizo I as Matatabi Dennai (L). A fascinating if rather disturbing subject, beautifully detailed with delicate embossing in the blind man's white kimono and soft shading in the sky.
Artist - Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864)
Image Size - 14 1/8" x 29 7/8" + margins as shown
Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Three separate panels. A few small holes, repaired. A few creases, a couple stains. Please see photos for details. Good overall.
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