{"product_id":"ukiyoe-japanese-woodblock-prints-syaraku-26","title":"Sawamura Yodogorō II and Bandō Zenji  as Kawatsura Hōgan and Onisadobō","description":"\u003ch2 data-start=\"470\" data-end=\"512\"\u003eScholarly Notes on This Ukiyo-e Print\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"514\" data-end=\"688\"\u003eThis description is based on the original scholarly notes supervised by Yoshida Eiji, a leading authority on ukiyo e research and Sharaku studies, included with this print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"690\" data-end=\"920\"\u003eEach artwork is accompanied by a thin sheet of Japanese washi paper containing academic commentary in Japanese. For international collectors, we provide here a faithful English translation as part of the artwork’s documentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"922\" data-end=\"925\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"927\" data-end=\"951\"\u003eArtwork Description\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"953\" data-end=\"1228\"\u003eThis work depicts Sawamura Yodogorō II as Kawatsura Hōgan and Bandō Zenji as Onisadobō from \u003cem data-start=\"1045\" data-end=\"1070\"\u003eYoshitsune Senbonzakura\u003c\/em\u003e, performed at the Kawarazaki Theater in May 1794. The print belongs to Sharaku’s first period and exemplifies his approach to paired half length portraits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1230\" data-end=\"1675\"\u003eKawatsura Hōgan, who shelters Minamoto no Yoshitsune, stands in moral opposition to Onisadobō, a monk aligned with Yoshitsune’s enemies. Sharaku constructs this contrast visually through opposing gestures and expressions: Yodogorō’s open mouth contrasts with Zenji’s closed lips, tightly gripped fingers oppose open hands, and flowing hair is set against a shaven head. These formal oppositions generate dynamic tension within the composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1677\" data-end=\"1968\"\u003eRather than pairing Hōgan with more prominent characters from the play, Sharaku isolates this moral contrast, emphasizing psychological intensity over narrative convention. The faces are rendered with concentrated force, transforming theatrical roles into sharply individualized portraits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1970\" data-end=\"1973\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"1975\" data-end=\"1987\"\u003eEdition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1989\" data-end=\"2057\"\u003e1968 woodblock reprint\u003cbr data-start=\"2011\" data-end=\"2014\"\u003eHand printed using traditional techniques\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2059\" data-end=\"2133\"\u003eThis is a mid 20th century reprint after Sharaku’s original 1794 design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2135\" data-end=\"2138\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2140\" data-end=\"2154\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2156\" data-end=\"2231\"\u003eGood impression with vibrant colors.\u003cbr data-start=\"2192\" data-end=\"2195\"\u003eFaint soiling consistent with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2233\" data-end=\"2236\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2238\" data-end=\"2250\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2252\" data-end=\"2376\"\u003eSignature: Tōshūsai Sharaku\u003cbr data-start=\"2279\" data-end=\"2282\"\u003eDate: 1968\u003cbr data-start=\"2292\" data-end=\"2295\"\u003eJapanese Woodblock Print\u003cbr data-start=\"2319\" data-end=\"2322\"\u003ePrint size: 31 x 21 cm\u003cbr data-start=\"2344\" data-end=\"2347\"\u003eBacking sheet: 41.5 x 30 cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2378\" data-end=\"2430\"\u003eAll artworks are sold as shown in the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2432\" data-end=\"2435\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2437\" data-end=\"2466\"\u003eAbout the Sharaku Series\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2468\" data-end=\"2634\"\u003eTōshūsai Sharaku was active for only ten months between 1794 and 1795. During this brief period, he created actor portraits that broke dramatically from convention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2636\" data-end=\"2793\"\u003eRather than idealizing his subjects, Sharaku revealed the psychological intensity of kabuki performance through bold composition and uncompromising vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2795\" data-end=\"2980\"\u003eThis series presents carefully selected mid 20th century woodblock reprints, printed by hand using traditional methods, offering a renewed encounter with Sharaku’s revolutionary work.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kumano.is","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46320835264812,"sku":"","price":24999.0,"currency_code":"ISK","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0796\/6205\/5724\/files\/14-28_Kumano_project_2023042514283_1.jpg?v=1707486456","url":"https:\/\/kumano.is\/products\/ukiyoe-japanese-woodblock-prints-syaraku-26","provider":"Kumano.is","version":"1.0","type":"link"}