Yamamura Kôka (Toyonari)

This oban woodblock print is cataloged under the artist's alternate name, Yamamura Koka, the art name (go) by which Toyonari was also known. The print likely represents a work published under this name, which Toyonari used during certain periods of his career. The dual naming convention was common among Japanese artists, and prints bearing the Koka name are the same artist as those signed Toyonari. This particular entry may depict a kabuki actor, a bijin subject, or a landscape, depending on the period in which it was produced. The existence of works under both names has occasionally caused confusion in Western collections and catalogs, where the same artist may be filed under two separate entries. The print contributes to the complete picture of an artist whose output spanned theater, landscape, and figure subjects.