Posted by Guy (91.176.172.71) on July 05, 2011 at 16:20:53:
In Reply to: Re: Toyokuni I - bust portrait in pr posted by Andrew on July 05, 2011 at 00:53:05:
Gentlemen,
Thanks for sharing your interesting insights on the controversial matter of print restoration. As mentioned, I will ask the advice of a professional and give you feedback.
The role of the actor on the surimono is (Taira no) Kagekiyo, mostly performed by principal actors of the Ichikawa line. A surimono depicting Danjurō VII in the role of Kagekiyo, with a poem by Jihinari, was sold at Sotheby's London in 1994 (image lacks). This could have been antoher copy of the same print. Toyokuni I designed another surimono of Danjurō VII in the same role in 1824, when the play "Kagekiyo" was staged during the commemoration of the death of Takenogo IV, creator of the play. This date could match with the surimono that is under scrunity here.
In a previous post, I mentioned also the surimono series signed "ko Toyokuni hitsu'. It turned out that this series of the seven Danjurō actors was originally designed by Toyokuni I and published c. 1820. The series was reissued however, c. 1830, adding the prefix "ko" (故 - the late; the deceased) to the signature. One additional design by Toyokuni II depicting Danjurō VII was also added during this reissue.
Prints depicting the same scene: TML N015-014 (part of a triptych, see link below; Waseda 001-1028).
Direct link to the full scene (Db TML):
http://metro.tokyo.opac.jp/tml/tpic/cgi-bin/cdetail.cgi?Kbseqid=23824&orgkbseqid=23824&Dstate=&bSize=&Sryparam=001&Backpage=/tml/tpic/resprint_d/2011/7/5/7175_001_001.html&Srhfname=/resprint_d/2011/7/5/7175&Rp_kind=2&Displmt=30&Backpage2=&Srhfname2=&Cpage=&Size=470
Guy