Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) (Japanese, 17861864). This is an extremely rare diptych by the great master of 19. The scene illustrated is from the kabuki play Onatsurae Satsuma no shingata, performed at the Nakamura theater in Edo. Pictured are (from left) Iwai Kumesabur III and Kataoka Gat II as geisha Koman and Satsuma Gengobei. Koman, the geisha, is so enamoured by Satsuma Gengobê that she cuts off her little finger to show the strength of her affections. The publisher is Daikokuya Heikichi and the date is 6/1856. The prints are matted and mounted on card with an overall size of 29 x 20 inches. The visible area of each print is 9 ¼ x 13 ¼ inches. Condition: Each print has had a brown paper backing applied which is now peeling in parts. They have been trimmed to within the printed area with a thin margin under the mat for fixing. Condition of the prints is very good. There is very slight fading to the green along the lower edges, more pronounced to the lower right corner of the male figure. Light marks as per photos, typical of prints of this age. With the prints dismounted. Please see his remarkable website for anything related to this great artist. The item “Antique Utigawa Kunisada I / Toyokuni III 1856 Japanese Woodblock Diptych” is in sale since Sunday, October 11, 2020. This item is in the category “Antiques\Asian/Oriental Antiques\Japanese\Prints”. The seller is “danshari” and is located in Bournemouth. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Ireland, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Iceland, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Ukraine.

• Region of Origin: Japanese
• Primary Material: Paper
• Age: 1850-1899
• Product: Print
• Sub-Type: Woodblock
• Original/Repro: Antique Original