Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III). Poem by Ariwara no Narihira Ason: Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as the ghost of Seigen, 1852.

Poem by Ariwara no Narihira Ason: (Actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as) Seigen, from the series Comparisons for Thirty-six Selected Poems (Mitate sanjûrokkasen no uchi)「見立三十六歌撰之内　有原業平朝臣　清玄」　八代目市川団十郎.

Poem: Yo no naka ni/ taete sakura no/ nakariseba/ haru no kokoro wa/ nodokekaramashi.

Kabuki actor: Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII [八代目市川團十郎] (Japanese, 1823 – 1854); other names: Ichikawa Ebizô VI, Ichikawa Shinnosuke II.

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865).

Block cutter: Yokokawa Horitake [横川彫武] a.k.a. Yokokawa Takejiro [横川竹二郎] (Japanese, fl. 1860s).

Publisher: Iseya Kanekichi [伊勢屋兼吉] (Japanese, fl. 1840s – c. 1875)

Year: 1852 (Kaei 5), 10th month.

Size: Vertical ōban; 36.5 × 25.4 cm.

Signed: Toyokuni ga, in toshidama cartouche [豊国画(年玉枠]

Censors’ seals: Fuku, (Muramatsu), Rat 10.

Ref: MFA Accession № 11.36779.43.

Collection	Japanese prints and drawings
Type or purpose	Woodblock print
Period	19 AD, Edo Period (1603 – 1868), Kaei [嘉永] (1848 – 1854), Mid-19th century
Country	Japan
Media	Ink and color on paper
Technique	Woodblock print (nishiki-e)
Size	Vertical Ōban
Subject	Actor print, Kabuki, Kabuki actor, Kabuki actors, Kabuki theater, Poetry
Character / Sitter	Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII [Ichikawa Ebizō VI, Ichikawa Shinnosuke II] (Japanese, 1823 – 1854)
School	Utagawa (歌川)
Artist	Utagawa Kunisada [歌川国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865)
Engraver	Yokokawa Takejiro (Japanese, fl. 1845 – 1863)
Publisher	Iseya Kanekichi [伊勢屋兼吉] (Japanese, fl. 1840s – c. 1875)
Publishing year	1852, Kaei 5
Signatures/Inscriptions/Marks	Artist's seal, Block carver signature, Combined date seal and aratame censor seal, Publisher's seal
Acquisition year	2014

Collection

Japanese prints and drawings