Page 36 - Sothebys Fine Japanese Art London, November 2018

38

TOSHUSAI SHARAKU (ACTIVE 1794-1795) Louis Ledoux was born in New York City in 1880. He was a
PORTRAIT OF THE ACTOR SEGAWA scholar, poet, collector of Japanese prints and President of the
KIKUNOJO III AS OSHIZU, FROM THE PLAY Japanese Society. He wrote several books on prints including
2
HANA-AYAME BUNROKU SOGA Sharaku’s Japanese Theater Prints . For further information on
3
his collection see Jenkins .
東洲斎写楽（活動期間 1794−1795年）、三代目瀬川菊之丞の
田辺文蔵妻おしづ、江戸時代、18世紀 There are only twenty-four known surviving impressions
of which fifteen are held in the following museums and
woodblock print, signed Toshusai Sharaku ga, published by institutions: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; (Accession number
Tsutaya Juzaburo, 5th month, 1794 21.7248) Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Mass; Art Institute,
38 x 25.5 cm, 15 x 10 in. Chicago (Accession number 1794-95); The Edoardo Chiossone
Museum of Oriental Art, Genoa; British Museum, London
PROVENANCE (Accession number 1909,0618,0.40); Staatliches Museum
Bremen Museum, sold Walpole Galleries, 10 November 1922, fur Volkerkunde, Munich; Brooklyn Museum, New York;
th
Lot 61. National Library, Paris; Guimet Museum, Paris; Museum of
William Keane, Evanston, III Art, Philadelphia (Accession number 1967-30-209) Naradowe
Louis Ledoux (see below) Museum, Prague; National Museum, Tokyo; Nihon Kikin,
Tokyo; Osterreichisches Museum fur angewandte Kunst,
The play Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga, in which Segawa Kikunojo Vienna; Kiraki Museum, Yokohama
III performed, was staged at the Miyako theatre in May 1794.
1. Juzo Suzuki, Sharaku Vol. 2 (Tokyo, 1968), p.34
Segawa Kikunojo III (1751-1810) was the most popular player
of female roles of his day. The print is considered one of 2. Harold G. Henderson, Sharaku’s Japanese Theater Prints,
Sharaku’s most celebrated portraits. Juzo Suzuki comments An Illustrate Guide to his Complete Work, (New York, 1984)
1
that in this print Sharaku is able to capture the grace and 3. Donald Jenkins, The Ledoux Heritage: The Collection of
femininity that Kikunojo expressed in his performances and Ukiyo-e Master Prints, (New York, 1973)
adds that “the print is a masterpiece to be numbered among
the best of Sharaku’s half-length portraits of onnagata”. ‡ £ 180,000-250,000
€ 203,000-282,000 US$ 237,000-330,000

34 SOTHEBY’S