Utagawa Hirosada (歌川広貞: 1810-1864) (artist 1810 – 1864)
Actor portrait - possibly Mimasu Daigorō IV
ca 1850
7 in x 10 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Hirosada (広貞)
There is an unreadable inscription in metallic ink along with the artist's signature. Even though we have looked through thousands of Japanese prints, mostly by Hirosada, we have been unable to find another copy of this particular image.
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The actor's lower lip is printed in such a way as to imply he is wearing the very expensive cosmetic, sasabeni. In Edo this was fashionable with high class courtesans, but in Osaka, where this print was produced, it was also worn by a few kabuki actors in a male role. On top of that, it would appear that there is gauffrage or blind-printing in the area of the crest or mon partially visible on the actor's left arm. The area below that appears to have been printed somewhat with metallic inks.
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Mimasu Daigorō IV (四代目三枡大五郎: 1/1846 to 5/13/1859) (actor)