Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō), Utagawa Kunisada

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Utagawa Kunisada, Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō)
Utagawa Kunisada, Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō)
Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō)
circa 1850, Edo period (1600–1868)
1786–1865
Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō), circa 1850, Edo period (1600–1868)
Where object was made: Japan
Material/technique: color woodcut
Dimensions:
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): each: 148.75 x 100 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 14 7/8 x 10 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 20 x 36 in
Credit line: Gift of H. Lee Turner
Accession number: 1968.0001.242.a,b,c
Not on display
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Archive Label date unknown: This triptych, with its three sorcerers, combines several popular print motifs: kabuki actors in three roles from different plays, the Tōkaidō or Eastern Sea Road and its 53 post-station stops, and magical toads of legendary transforming power. The Tenpō Reforms of 1842 prohibited printmakers from depicting actors, so the kabuki celebrities are not named. However, dedicated fans fo the kabuki stage would have recognized their favorite stars from subtle, individualized portrait features. Archive Label date unknown: With its hypnotic eyes and horny skin, the mere presence of a toad has become the harbinger of some unusual happening. In this print, Kunisada depicts three famous thieves. The two on the right have been brought to the meeting place carried on the back of a giant toad. The three smalll toads seem to be protesting the use of magic which brought in the illusory animal.