TOYOKUNI. Yakusha-e. Kabuki Theater scene. Courtesans arguing. Colored woodcut. Diptych. 370x500 ca. Sign: "Gototei Kunisada ga." Publisher: Yamaguchiya Tobei. Censored by Kiwame. Excellent impression, rubbed and soiled. Segawa Kikunojo and Iwai Kumesaburo as courtesans arguing. Yakusha-e, often referred to as "actor prints" in English, are Japanese woodblock prints of kabuk actors, particularly those done in the ukiyo-e style popular through the Edo period (1603-1867). Utagawa Kunisada, also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III, Edo, 1786-1865, was one of the most famous Ukiyo-e woodblock print designers of 19th century Japan. He was the head of one of the most important Japanese woodblock printing schools, the Utagawa School.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.