Comments - Handsome kabuki scene from the play "Murai Choan," a drama about the evil doctor Murai Choan, who robbed and murdered his brother-in-law, and the loyal clerk Kyuhachi. Here, Choan's niece Sayuginu, who is a courtesan at the Chojiya, has stolen away to secretly meet with her sweetheart, Iseya Sentaro, who stands in the center. She looks furtively back over her shoulder, concerned that she may be watched, the edge of a cloth draped over her head caught between her teeth. At left, Kyuhachi has encountered the couple and stares at Sentaro with a worried frown, his arms folded across his chest and tucked into the sleeves of his striped kimono. Wooden planks serve as steps on the grassy slope behind them. From left, the actors are Ichikawa Kodanji, Nakamura Fukusuke, and Bando Mitsugoro. Nice expressive figures, with soft shading on the grass and the evening sky.

Artist - Kuniaki II (1835 - 1888)

Image Size - 13 1/2" x 29 3/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Three separate panels. Thinning at edges, a few small holes, repaired. Slight toning and soiling, staining. Please see photos for details.