948 - Color woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

Color woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) Japan, Edo period, probably around 1853. - Portrait of an actor (Yakusha-e) by Iwai Hanshiro - Color woodblock print on washi (Japanese paper). Dimensions: 22.5 × 35 cm. Framed under glass; frame dimensions: 55 × 42.5 cm. Signed and sealed lower left. Condition: Slightly browned. Slight touch-ups. Color loss. Depiction of the famous Kabuki actor Iwai Hanshiro in one of his stage roles. Kunisada is considered one of the most important ukiyo-e artists of the 19th century and created numerous portraits of actors (yakusha-e) that document the Kabuki theater of the Edo period. The subject belongs to the well-known Iwai family of actors.