Kabuki Actor / Samurai by Kuniaki II - Real Japanese 'Osaka School' Print 1880

Description

Osaka School Chuban Bust of a Kabuki Actor
by Utagawa Kuniaki II (1835-1888)
Circa 1880
Authentic Antique Japanese Woodblock Print  木版画
9-3/4 x 6-1/2 inches
[ 24.765 cm tall, 16.51 cm wide ]
Excellent Condition - clear impression, full margins, intact color, no foxing,  folding, tape or discoloration
Please inspect the photos carefully to observe all of the fine detail in this print as well as any irregularities in the paper that are to be expected in an antique item of this type.
Certificate of Authenticity provided by Robyn Buntin of Honolulu Gallery.
The document may be used for legal purposes such as insurance documentation, estate planning and taxes, and museum donation accessioning, among others.
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Utagawa Kuniaki II (1835-1888)
Artist Names (
gō
):
Hōsai 鳳斎 ● Ippōsai 一鳳斎 ● Ichiosai 一凰齋 ● Onojirō 斧二郎 ● Hachisuka 蜂須賀
Student of one of the most famous and prolific ukiyo-e woodblock print artists of the time, Utagawa Kunisada I (歌川 国貞, 1786–1865 / aka Utagawa Toyokuni III 三代 歌川 豊国, Sandai Utagawa Toyokuni). Utagawa Kuniaki II may have been the brother or possibly the same artist as Utagawa Kuniaki I.
His father, Tatsunosuke was a samurai in the fourteenth division of castle guards. Part of the Hirasawa (or Hirazawa) 平沢 family and later adopted by the Hachisuka 蜂須賀 family.
Well known for his prints of Kabuki actors, genre prints, Yokohama-e, and paintings of beauties during the late Edo period. Artworks are in the collection of numerous national and private museums around the world.
Kuniaki II also played an interesting role in Western art due to the fact that many European artists like Manet, Degas and Van Gogh collected his works. His print The Wrestler Onaruto Nadaemon of Awa Province became famous, as it is pictured in Manet's 1868 portrait of Emile Zola.