The Tokaido
The Tokaido - literally the Eastern Sea Road - runs along the eastern seaboard of Japan and, in days gone by, connected the seat of the shogun and his administration in Edo (Tokyo) and the emperor's capital in Kyoto. In earlier days the Tokagawa Shogun would separate the daimyo (lord) and his family, one in Kyoto the other in Edo. The family held hostage as protection against disloyal acts. The Tokeido was a main eastern route, used by ordinary citizens to pass from Edo to Koyoto and in history represents a golden age of Japan's past - a time of prosperity and peace in Japan, Kunisada, depicted his actor-half -figure- portrait- prints in this unique, popular and important back -drop.

The Artist
Kunisada Utagawa (1786 - 1864) also known as Toyokuni III perfected the Utagawa school style of actor prints. He was among the top three print-artists of his day, referred to variously as Kunisada, the actor-print artist, Kuniyoshi, the warrior-print artist and, Hiroshige, the landscape-print artist. Although Kunisada is known for his actor-prints and although his output of landscape-prints was extremely limited, he has shown that he could rise to greatness in both areas. In this offering, you will find that Kunisada has combined his obvious actor-print talent with his landscape-print talent to produce a series of prints that shows excellence, extreme beauty and delicacy.

The Series
In 1852, Kunisada began to design a series of half -figure portraits of actors posed against the background of the Fifty-three stations of the Tokaido. He followed the lead of Hiroshige's "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido," published by Hoeido and Senkakudo. The roles played by actors are named but not the actors themselves which names were censored at the time of production.

It is interesting to note that the title cartouche, the largest cartouche shown in red, has as its border in each print the various props that were used on stage when the actor performed in his drama. Notwithstanding not naming the actor shown, the theatrical audience was so familiar with their appearances that they recognized them easily.

According to promotional literature which preceded the series, Kunisada was inspired by the late Onoe Kikugoro III , who, in the last year of his life, had walked the length of the Tokaido giving performances along the way.

The scale of this series was such that four publishers - Izutsuya, Iseya, Tsujiokaya and Sumiyoshiya joined together to bring it out with the help of selected engravers. Nihombashi and Shinagawa stations, at the commencement of the Tokaido, are dated in the very early part of 1852. By summer the popularity of the series was so immense that Kunisada began to insert additional prints and to design similar sets. These prints engendered such a favorable public response that it was even the subject of a popular song wherein Kunisada's actors were compared to Asakusa seaweed (a famous delicacy) and that his backgrounds were the "flowers of Edo."

Please Note General Condition - applicable to each print sold in this offering
These particular prints being offered are in an oban tate (upright) format and were placed in an album for their preservation and enjoyment. Placing the prints in an album has exquisitely preserved their condition and color. In so placing them, it was necessary to mount them (backing) and to trim clear margins and in some cases to, ever so slightly, trim the print to fit that format. The measurement of the prints in this format is 13 3/8 inches to 13.5 inches (38.6 cm. to 38.9 cm.) more or less by 9 5/8 inches to 9 6/8 (24.5 cm. to 24.8 cm.) more or less .