{"product_id":"bookstore-4","title":"Kabuki Actor Portrait by Toyohara Kunichika","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis 1960 Japanese woodblock reissue depicts kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizō IV in the role of Takemura Sadanoshin, based on the celebrated 1794 design by Tōshūsai Sharaku. Produced by Takamizawa using traditional woodblock printing techniques, the edition preserves the distinctive composition, colors, and mica-style background of Sharaku’s Edo-period original.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKabuki actors were the celebrities of eighteenth-century Edo, and actor prints were sold to theater fans much like theatrical posters or celebrity portraits today. What made Sharaku unusual was his refusal to simply flatter his subjects. He emphasized individual features, expressions, and personality, giving his portraits an extraordinary psychological intensity. Here, Ebizō’s furrowed brow, slightly parted lips, and penetrating gaze capture the tension of the character he portrays.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSharaku himself remains one of the great mysteries of Japanese art. He appeared suddenly in 1794, produced approximately 145 known designs in less than a year, and then disappeared from the artistic record. Despite a career lasting only about ten months, his unconventional approach to actor portraiture eventually established him as one of the most recognizable masters of ukiyo-e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe original design was published by Tsutaya Jūzaburō, one of the most influential publishers of Edo-period popular culture. More than 150 years later, Takamizawa reissued the image in 1960, continuing the Japanese tradition of preserving important historic designs through skilled woodblock printing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis edition offers both the visual impact of one of Sharaku’s celebrated kabuki portraits and an example of the remarkable woodblock craftsmanship that kept historic ukiyo-e designs alive well into the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 15.75\" x 10.25\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tōshūsai Sharaku\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Authentic Vintage Posters","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45191747862643,"sku":"P8247","price":160.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0088\/3005\/8556\/files\/edited_cd62d0d4-973b-4256-97af-4389d3cc7c79.jpg?v=1783978318","url":"https:\/\/www.authenticvintageposters.com\/products\/bookstore-4","provider":"Authentic Vintage Posters","version":"1.0","type":"link"}