$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.
Dating to the early 1920s, this [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print depicts a kabuki actor accompanied by a child, a pairing that appears in several plays where parent-child relationships drive the drama. Kabuki is rich in scenes of parental sacrifice, filial devotion, and the painful separation of families by duty or circumstance. Toyonari arranges the two figures to emphasize the protective relationship between adult and child, with the larger figure's body language creating a sheltering presence. The inclusion of a child actor (often a young trainee from a kabuki dynasty) adds a layer of real-world context: these prints document the generational transmission of acting traditions. Toyonari's treatment is tender without being sentimental, using restrained lines and muted color to convey the emotional weight of the theatrical relationship.
1919
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Woodblock print
1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with nikawa and embossing
歌舞伎
Woodblock print
1955
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Kabuki Actor with Child, Taishô period, circa 1920-1922 was created by Yamamura Toyonari (山村豊成).
Kabuki Actor with Child, Taishô period, circa 1920-1922 was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Kabuki Actor with Child, Taishô period, circa 1920-1922 depicts kabuki, children, and daily life.