Katsukawa Shun'ei (勝川春英) (artist 1762 – 1819)

Asao Tamejūrō I [浅尾為十郎] operating a Bunraku puppet

Print

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Date:ca 1790
Inscription:Signed: Shun'ei ga (春英)
Links Honolulu Museum of Art Description:This print was originally said to represent the actor Kataoka Nizaemon VII, but Josai University says the performer is Asao Tamejūrō I. We are now convinced of the Tamejūrō attribution after we had compared this print with other prints of this actor, mostly from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and those in the Art Institute of Chicago. They all display the same actor's crest of a circle with two broad bars through them. The Honolulu Museum of Art still says that it is Kataoka Nizaemon VII.

We have looked at dozens, if not hundreds, of Shun'ei prints and have not found another one that looks quite like this one. We will continue to search to see if there are any other like this one or if this one is a unique from his oeuvre.

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Illustrated in color in 原色浮世絵大百科事典 (Genshoku Ukiyoe Daihyakka Jiten), vol. 11, p. 45, #225.
Related entities actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Asao Tamejūrō I (初代浅尾為十郎) (actor)

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