Kabuki Actors Sawamura Kunitarō II and Nakamura Utaemon III, 1824
Series titleA Collection of Temporary Fans (Uchiwa Tosei Kurabe)
Japanese colour woodblock
About the work Shunkōsai Hokushū originally owned a paper shop in the Japanese city of Osaka before practising the craft of woodblock printmaking from 1802 to 1832. During his lifetime, he was considered the most important artist in this medium in town. Here, Hokushū depicts actors in their roles with in the contours of round fans. The piece they performed in 1824 was part of the Kabuki tradition, a form of theatre popular among the Japanese bourgeoisie during the Edo period (1603–1868). On the left we see the actor Sawamura
Kunitarō II (d. 1836), on the right Nakamura Utaemon III (1778–1838).
AccessionGift Dr. Hans Lühdorf 1964
Provenance[...]; 1964 erworben durch Schenkung von Dr. Hans Lühdorf (Düsseldorf 1910 - 1983 Düsseldorf), Düsseldorf
Inventory numberJ 1966-44 (362)
