Archive: Eisensai Kuninao (英泉齋國直)

Ichikawa Ebijûrô I as Kanda Kanzaemon (神田勘左衞門) in Koi no michinoku onna tozoku, Kado no Shibai, Osaka

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Return to Kuninao Gallery or Sales Gallery (all artists).

No artist seal

Toshin

7/1823

Format:
(H x W)

Ôban
37.9 x 25.1 cm

Good

Excellent color; good condition (unbacked; some trimming, esp. along right edge; 5 tiny pin holes along left edge from former binding in album; slight diagonal crease at lower right; a small sumi ink mark on the left foot; overall a very clean sheet with exceptional color)

SOLD

Inquiry: KNA01

Background

The plot of the play Koi no michinoku onna tozoku (恋陸奥遠媚賊) is unknown to us.

Kuninao (國直 surname Yanagawa, 柳川) was active circa 1823; his earlier art name may have been Eisen, and his gô was Eisensai (英泉齋), which he used on the print illustrated here. He should not be confused with Keisei (Ikeda) Eisen (渓斎英泉, 1790-1848) who worked in Edo. He should also not be confused with Utagawa Kuninao (歌川國直), a pupil of Utagawa Toyokuni I in Edo.

Design

This is the right sheet of a diptych (the left shows Nakamura Utaemon III (中村歌右衞門) as Mishima Osen (三島おせん); the protagonists are shown at the Abukuma River.

It is very rare for an Osaka print to include a censor seal. This impression bears a kiwame seal ("approved": 極), probably indicating that this work was also intended for sale in Edo where commercially published prints required inspection by authorities.

The color preservation and freshness of this sheet are remarkable. Such sheets are rarely available.

References: IKBYS-II, no. 204 (right only) KNZ, no. 243; HSK, no. 92; SDK, no. 125