Utagawa Kunisada I / 歌川国貞（三代歌川豊国） (1786–1865)
The Fierce Matriarch Kakujū — A Heroine of Classic Kabuki / 後室 覚寿
Description
A commanding female figure from one of Japan’s great theatrical classics.
This ōban woodblock print depicts Kakujū, an important character in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy), a celebrated drama based on the downfall and exile of the historical scholar and statesman Sugawara no Michizane. In the play, Kakujū is the aunt of Kan Shōjō—the fictionalized Michizane—and the mother of Kariya-hime. She is remembered as a formidable matriarch: severe and perceptive, yet deeply devoted to her family.
Kunisada captures that strength in a remarkably restrained composition. Kakujū stands alone in an interior, her body enveloped in an elaborate russet-brown robe patterned with delicate blue blossoms. Beneath it, sweeping layers of black and white create a dramatic vertical rhythm. At her side she carries a sheathed blade, while her composed expression and deliberate posture give the figure an unmistakable authority.
Behind her, a standing lantern and flowering plum branches frame the scene against a pale blue sky. The plum is especially resonant within the world of Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, whose story is closely associated with Michizane and the celebrated legends surrounding him.
The vertical cartouche at upper left identifies the character as “Goshitsu Kakujū” (後室覚寿). At lower left is the Toyokuni ga (豊国画) signature, the name under which Kunisada worked in his later career, together with the carver’s mark Hori Take (彫竹).
Rather than presenting feminine beauty in the conventional manner of bijin-ga, this print centers on presence, dignity, and character—a powerful portrait of one of classical Japanese theatre’s strong female roles.
Artist
Utagawa Kunisada I (1786–1865), later known as Toyokuni III, was a pupil of Utagawa Toyokuni I and one of the dominant ukiyo-e artists of nineteenth-century Japan. He was especially renowned for yakusha-e, portraits of kabuki actors and theatrical characters, as well as bijin-ga and literary subjects.
His work is distinguished by confident figure drawing, sophisticated textile patterns, strong color contrasts, and an exceptional ability to translate the visual drama of the kabuki stage into woodblock print.
Condition
Pre-owned and long stored, with age-related deterioration, scratches, soiling, and other signs of wear. Condition as shown in the photographs. Age-related wear consistent with an antique woodblock print. Please examine the photographs carefully before bidding.
Approximate size: 26 × 37 cm / 10.2 × 14.6 in
Format: Ōban
Shipping
Worldwide shipping is available. Each artwork will be carefully packaged and shipped with tracking.
In the unlikely event that the artwork is lost or damaged during transit, we will take responsibility and provide appropriate compensation. Please contact us promptly with photographs and details of the issue.
Import duties, taxes, and customs clearance fees are not included in the product price or shipping cost.
If applicable, these charges are determined by your country's customs authority and are the responsibility of the customer.
