Memorial Portrait Matsumo Koshiro, Aged Seventy-five at Death, 1838

Prints from the Age of the Samurai - With this group of Edo era prints opening at incentivized low bids, take a moment to be transported back to the age when samurai ruled Japan. During the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japan enjoyed a period of relative peace and prosperity for more than 250 years. Woodblock prints captured scenes from daily life, warriors and battles, the beauties of the Yoshiwara pleasure district, kabuki, and travelers along the Tokaido and Kisokaido roads. Watch for Age of the Samurai prints each week at Fuji Arts.

Shini-e - Literally meaning "death prints," shini-e are a category of Japanese woodblock commemorating the death of a famous kabuki actor, or less commonly, an artist or musician. These memorial portraits often depict the actor dressed in light blue death robes, or portraying a famous role associated with the individual. Some include verses or death poems along with the actor's age and date of death, or a posthumous Buddhist name. Other conventional iconography includes lotus blossoms or petals, incense burners, and prayer beads. The tragic suicide of Ichikawa Danjuro VIII in 1854 at the age of thirty-two resulted in nearly 200 shini-e of the actor. Some shini-e are recycled from earlier kabuki prints with the background blocks recut so they could be rushed into production. Most shini-e are unsigned, although some include the artist's signature. These designs are an interesting area of collecting.

Artist - Kunisada (1786 - 1864)

Image Size - 13 3/8" x 9 1/2"

Condition - Good detail. Backed with paper, horizontal and vertical folds, creasing at edges.