Fine Japanese Prints
Fine Japanese Prints
Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825) | Sixth of the Line, the Kodama Danjuro (Rokudanme kodama Danjuro) | Edo period, 19th century
Lot Closed
December 16, 02:58 PM GMT
Estimate
1,000 - 1,200 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825)
Sixth of the Line, the Kodama Danjuro (Rokudanme kodama Danjuro)
Edo period, 19th century
woodblock print, surimono, embellished with metallic pigment and embossing, from an untitled series of the Ichikawa Danjuro lineage for the Gogawa Poetry Circle, signed Ko Toyokuni hitsu (Brush of the Old Toyokuni), privately issued early 1830s
Surimono, shikishiban: 19 x 18.4 cm., 7½ x 7¼ in.
Depicting the actor Ichikawa Danjuro VI performing in the play Shibaraku, the design was first issued circa 1820 by Toyokuni I for the Gogawa Poetry Circle (Gogawa-ren) with their hourglass-shaped symbol ornamenting the margin. This present lot is from the second version of the series privately issued by Toyokuni II in the early 1830s, with a new set of poems to each designs and with a plain border instead of the poetry circle’s insignia.
For a similar impression of the second version, see Charlotte van Rappard-Boon et al., Surimono: Poetry and Image in Japanese Prints, (Amsterdam, 2000), p. 136, no.77.
For an example of the first version with the Gogawa Poetry Circle border in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 11.25228, go to: