Comments - Poignant scene from the popular kabuki play "Sugawara Denju Tenerai Kagami." The young samurai Toneri Sakuramaru feels responsible for the death of his sponsor, Kan Shojo, so he decides to commit suicide to atone for his mistake. Here, his wife, Yae, desperately tries to wrench the knife from his hand to prevent him from taking his own life, but she does not succeed. She leans forward over his arm, grabbing the handle of the weapon, as Sakuramaru looks at her sadly, ready to bare his chest for the ritual. Ichikawa Danjuro appears as Sakuramaru. Beautiful shading and handsome wood grain impression in the background. A fine design from this famous tale.

Artist - Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864)

Image Size - 14 1/8" x 9 5/8"

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Diagonal and vertical folds. Small loss at corner, a few wormholes repaired. Creasing, slight toning, rubbing at corner. Please see photos for details.