Edition period is the primary value driver for Hasui prints. Pre-war lifetime editions with the Watanabe copyright seal (A through D types) consistently achieve 3–5× the price of posthumous reprints of the same design. Condition is the second key factor — unfaded colors, full margins, and absence of foxing or staining are essential. Subject matter (snow > rain > night > other) provides a further modifier within each edition tier.
The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza), published in May 1926, depicts the third incarnation of the Kabukiza theater in Tokyo's Ginza district — the ornate pseudo-Momoyama-style facade rebuilt in 1924-1925 with its distinctive Chinese-influenced gabled rooflines and traditional decorative details, standing just a year old when Hasui depicted it. The Kabukiza as architectural subject rather than theatrical subject is characteristic of Hasui's approach: the building itself, with its decorated facades and prominent position on Ginza's Harumi-dori, is treated as a landmark rather than a performance venue. The May date suggests the theater's lively late-spring program season.
歌舞伎
Woodblock print
1955
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza) (Kabukiza) was created by Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水) in May 1926.
The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza) uses Bokashi, Nishiki-e, and Moku-hanga, on color woodblock print.
The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza) was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (May 1926).
The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza) depicts kabuki.
The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza) measures 22.6 × 33.3 cm (Oban format).
