Originally a urushi-e (lacquer print) that captured a definitive moment in 18th-century Kabuki history. Depicting the popular onnagata (male actor in a female role) Hayakawa Shinkatsu, the work radiates the refined elegance of the wakaonnagata (youthful woman) archetype. Masanobu utilises the vertical hosoban format to elongate the figure, emphasising the graceful, rhythmic flow of the robes. The genius of this piece lies in its technical restraint. Before the advent of full polychrome printing, Masanobu relied on hand-applied pigments and a sophisticated use of black ink mixed with animal glue (nikawa) to create a glossy, lacquer-like finish.

Studio Gallery Frame in 'black'; acrylic safety fronts; ready-to-hang options.

Gift-ready, arriving hand-wrapped in acid-free tissue paper. Plastic-free packaging.

Image source: Art Institute of Chicago.

Full Title: The Actor Hayakawa Shinkatsu as Toyohime in the play “Goshozome Koyo Gunki,” performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1727