Orig 1850s Toyokuni III Japanese Woodblock Print Kabuki Ghost Framed

USD 100.00

Condition: Used

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Description

View Orig 1850s Toyokuni III Japanese Woodblock Print Kabuki Ghost Framed with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. This is an authentic, period-original mid-19th-century Japanese woodblock print (nishiki-e) by the most prolific and commercially successful ukiyo-e portrait artist of the Edo period, Utagawa Kunisada I, who signed this work under his prestigious lineage name Toyokuni III (1786–1865). The print captures the strict Tenpō Reform censorship guidelines of the era, which legally banned publishers from stating the real names of Kabuki actors. Toyokuni III bypassed this restriction by labeling the print strictly by the fictional character name, Koume no Chōkichi, while keeping the actor's highly recognizable caricature likeness intact for fans. The composition captures Chōkichi thrown to the ground in terror beneath a circular koma-e (inset frame) showing a ghostly, hooded spirit haunting him. The artist's distinct "Toyokuni ga" signature and dual government nanushi censor stamps are clearly visible in the lower-left quadrant.The print is preserved in an entirely untrimmed state, retaining its original, uncut paper borders—a structural feature highly prized by antique ukiyo-e collectors over modern cut-down variations. The fragile 170+ year old washi rice paper displays genuine historical weathering, including visible moisture/water staining across the background and natural edge fraying with minor paper loss concentrated along the raw left margin. The artwork is housed under glass in a vintage wood frame with a faux-bamboo texture finish, complemented by a dual-layered green and gold accent mat board.The reverse side preserves its original, untouched light brown paper dust cover. The backing paper remains fully closed and structurally intact across the entire frame rear, showing only minor wrinkling and small cosmetic tears localized around the perimeter mounting brads. A metal sawtooth hanger is mounted firmly at the top-center wooden rim, making the glass-protected antique ready for immediate wall installation. All authentic aging, paper conditions, and backing details are fully documented in the listing photos. The print itself measures 9 inches in length and 14.75" in height. Condition: Used. Category: Art › Art Prints.