Ippitsusai Bunchō (1765-1792) - Lot 21

Lot n° 21
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2500 - 3000 EUR
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Result : 8 023EUR
Ippitsusai Bunchō (1765-1792) - Lot 21
Ippitsusai Bunchō (1765-1792) Hosoban, actor Segawa Kikunojō II as Tamagiku (二代目瀬川菊之丞の玉菊) from the play Kawaranu hana sakae hachi-no-ki (常花栄鉢木), The eternally blooming potted tree. Signed Ippitsusai Bunchō ga and artist's stamp Mori uji, publisher Eijudō. Collector's stamp HV by Henri Vever. 1769 (minor restoration). Dim. 32.1 x 14.9 cm This print depicts the actor Segawa Kikunojō II (1741-73), who specialized in female roles, in Act III Momiji kumo nishiki no tsuri yogi from the play Kawaranu hana sakae hachi-no-ki performed in 1769. The actor takes on the role of Tamagiku, an oiran from the pleasure district famous for her beauty, generosity and talent. She became a source of inspiration for playwrights and artists after her tragic death from a sake overdose. In the play, set in autumn, Tamagiku tries to steal a precious demon mask. Kikunojō II was also a fashion icon of his time. His pen name Rokō was used for a particular shade of brown called Rokō cha. References: This print appeared in the exhibition The Riddles of Ukiyo-e. Women and Men in Japanese Prints 1765-1865, Japan Museum SieboldHuis, Leiden, 2023. Reproduced in the exhibition catalog, pp. 196-197. A similar print in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 54.490
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