Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as Sukeroku
- Date:
- 1920
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 40 × 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 1920 print renders Matsumoto Koshiro VII in the iconic role of Sukeroku, the flamboyant Edo townsman hero of one of kabuki's most beloved plays, Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura. The ink, color, and mica woodblock technique gives the surface a reflective shimmer that amplifies the character's swagger. Sukeroku is traditionally shown with a purple headband, a snake-eye umbrella, and an air of cocky defiance, and Toyonari captures these signature elements while filtering them through his own graphic boldness. Koshiro VII brought a physical dynamism to the role that matched Toyonari's preference for strong outlines and saturated color. The addition of mica grounds, an expensive printing technique borrowed from Edo-period luxury prints, signals that this was intended as a prestige publication within the [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) market.
1919
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Woodblock print
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 Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as Sukeroku was created by Yamamura Toyonari (山村豊成) in 1920.
Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as Sukeroku was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1920).
Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as Sukeroku depicts kabuki.
Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as Sukeroku measures 40 × 27.8 cm (Oban format).