Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞]; a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865).
Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a yellow toshidama cartouche.
Publisher: Unknown, seal [久] Kyū (Japanese, fl. c. 1851 – 1861); (Marks 07-023 | U176a, possibly Sagamia Kyūzō).
Date seal and double nanushi censor seals: Fuku & Muramatsu, Kaei 6, 2nd month (2/1853).
Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 227 x 296 mm
Inscription in a red cartouche: Purple of Edo // Purple of the Bay Capital [江都むらさき] (Edo Murasaki), alluding to Murasaki Shikibu [紫 式部] (Japanese, c. 973/8 – c. 1014/31), the author of Genji Monogatari [源氏物語] (The Tale of Genji), a Heian period novel which was the source of a parody Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji [偐紫田舎源氏] (Fake Murasaki’s Rustic Genji) by Ryutei Tanehiko [柳亭種彦] (Japanese, 1783 – 1842).
According to Horst Graebner, the actor is most probably Iwai Kumesaburō III [[岩井粂三郎] (Japanese, 1829 – 1882), also known as Iwai Hanshirō VIII [岩井半四郎]; other names: Iwai Shijaku II, Iwai Hisajirō II.
One of the series of Kunisada's fan prints in this collection:
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Additional Information
| Collection | Fan print (Uchiwa-e) [団扇絵] , Japanese prints and drawings |
|---|---|
| Type / Purpose | Fan , Woodblock print |
| Period | 19 AD , Edo period [江戸時代] (1603–1868) , Kaei era [嘉永] (1848–1854) , Mid-19th century |
| Country | Japan |
| Media/Technique | Ink and color on paper , Woodblock print (nishiki-e) |
| Size | Fan print. Uchiwa-e |
| Genre | Actor Prints (Yakusha-e, 役者絵) , Genji-e [源氏絵] |
| Subject | A Rustic Genji by a Fraudulent Murasaki [偐紫田舎源氏] Nise Murasaki inaka Genji , Actor print , Fan print , Genji-e [源氏絵] , Kabuki , Kabuki actor , Kabuki actors , Kabuki theater , Murasaki Shikibu [紫 式部] (Japanese, c. 973/8 – c. 1014/31) , Prince Genji [光源氏] Hikaru Genji , Uchiwa-e |
| School | Utagawa (歌川) |
| Creation / Publishing year | 1853 , Kaei 6 |
| Acquisition year | 2019 |
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