Description
Elegant original woodblock print of vertical large oban (大判) format, made by the artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) and depicting the actor Segawa Kikunojo V (五代目瀬川菊之丞) who plays the role of Yatsuhashi (八つはし) of the house of pleasure Manjiya (万字屋), the most beautiful courtesan of the famous Shin Yoshiwara (新吉原) district.
The work, right panel of a diptych depicting on the missing left the actor Sawamura Gennosuke II (二代目澤村源之助) in the role of the wealthy merchant Jirozaemon (次郎左衛門), commemorates the performance of July 1831, at the Kawarazaki (河原崎) theater in Edo (江戸), of the play “Iro misao kuruwa bunsho” (色操廓文章).
The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), produced by the publisher Kawaguchiya Chozo (川口屋長蔵), despite the obvious signs of aging including wrinkles, small holes and slight stains, is in overall fair condition.
