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The Entrance of the Three Kabuki Theaters During the “Face-Showing” Season

Original Language Title新板浮絵　三芝居顔見世大入之図

Series TitleNewly Published Perspective Pictures

Artist Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760 - 1849)

Dateca. 1810

MediumWoodblock print; ink and color on paper

DimensionsImage: 9 1/4 × 14 7/16 inches (23.5 × 36.67 cm)
Sheet: 10 3/8 × 15 1/2 inches (26.35 × 39.37 cm)

Credit LinePurchase: acquired through the generosity of the Foyer Fondation

Object number2025.40

On View

Not on view

Terms

DescriptionThe print depicts the kaomise event at the Nakamura Theater (Nakamuraza) in Sakaichō, Edo, in diagonal composition. Prominently featured are hanging plaques bearing the names of actors, rendered in Kanteiryū script, alongside a crowd of Kabuki fans from various social classes. The actor plaques identify key performers of the season: Ichikawa, Bandō, Matsumoto, and Sawamura Tanosuke. At the center, a large plaque, also written in Kanteiryū promotes a new publication by the publisher Iseya Rihei. Pinkish-red mists partially veil the scene. Superimposed over the mists are inscriptions naming the three major Kabuki theater districts in Edo: Sakaichō, Fukiyachō, and Kobikichō. On the far right, a vertical inscription presents the print’s title along with the names of the artist and publisher. Approximately seven colors, including black ink, were used in the printing process.
Provenance

Provenance

With Sebastian Izzard, LLC, New York City, NY, 2024

Purchased from Sebastian Izzard, LLC by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, in 2025

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