Item from the Mokuhankan Flea Market

Gedatsu

Size: 26.0cm by 20.0cm (10.24 in by 7.87 in) | Enlargement | Shipping Code: [M] ?

Designer: Torii Kiyotada

Era: Taisho | Currency: $ / £ /

Price: ¥ 8,000$ 65.00£ 56.50€ 65.00 [Item has been sold]

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Description: This print, "Gedatsu" (The Release), is from the set "The 18 Famous Kabuki Plays" made popular by the Ichikawa Danjuro line of actors.

This is the portrait of Ichikawa Danjuro in the role of Akushichibei Kagekiyo, a mysterious samurai. The portrait inset is bordered with the three concentric rice measure "Mimasu-mon": the crest of the actor family. There are sakura petals falling all over the background.

The moment here narrated is just after the Gempei Civil War (1180-1185), a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. The ghost of Kagekiyo is hiding behind a bell waiting for the right moment so he can attack the Minamoto. Attempts are made in vain to exorcise his spirit, but when the robe of a saint is placed on his shoulders, he achieves spiritual release, hence the title of the play. We can appreciate that he is wearing a traditional and colorful gown where green, red, black, and yellow are dominating.

By giving the character a very strong facial expression where he is scowling and clenching his teeth, Kiyonaga successfully represented the exact moment of surprise.


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