Actor Ichikawa Danshirō II as Henmi Tesshinsai
- Date:
- 1919
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 40.2 × 27.8 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
$2,000–$15,000. Kabuki actor portraits are highly collectible. Good actor or bijin-ga prints: $5,000–$10,000. Key value factors: Yamamura's Art Deco-influenced designs are particularly sought after. Kabuki actor prints and bold modern compositions command the highest prices.
This 1919 oban-format print portrays Ichikawa Danshiro II in the role of Henmi Tesshinsai, a samurai character from the kabuki repertoire. Toyonari renders the actor's face with bold, simplified contours that strip away excess ornamentation, focusing the viewer on the intensity of the performer's expression. The ink and color woodblock technique uses flat planes of pigment bounded by strong key-block lines, a hallmark of Toyonari's early actor prints produced during his most prolific period. Danshiro II was a respected figure on the Tokyo stage, and Toyonari's decision to depict him in this particular martial role reflects the artist's interest in capturing moments of coiled tension rather than overt action. The print sits squarely within the shin-hanga tradition of reviving yakusha-e (actor pictures), yet Toyonari's modern sensibility sets it apart from Edo-period precedents.
Woodblock print
1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with nikawa and embossing
Woodblock print
歌舞伎
Woodblock print
1955
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Actor Ichikawa Danshirō II as Henmi Tesshinsai was created by Yamamura Toyonari (山村豊成) in 1919.
Actor Ichikawa Danshirō II as Henmi Tesshinsai was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1919).
Actor Ichikawa Danshirō II as Henmi Tesshinsai depicts kabuki.
Actor Ichikawa Danshirō II as Henmi Tesshinsai measures 40.2 × 27.8 cm (Oban format).