Kuniyoshi 国芳: Original Preparatory Drawing of a Kabuki Actor as Defiant Samurai Watonai (SOLD)

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Title: Original Preparatory Drawing of a Kabuki Actor as Defiant Samurai Watonai Date: ca. late 1840s Terrific drawing of a kabuki actor as a warrior with his arms outstretched and his feet planted in a strong stance, his face fiercely set. It is most likely an actor in the role of  Watonai from the play “The Battle of Coxinga”, a play written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon and based on the historical figure Koxinga. He wears the fringed robe and has his outer garments pushed down around his waist as he confronts an enemy, with his feet firmly planted apart. The hairstyle, the dots on the sleeves and the rope patterns drawn around his kimono point to this as a portrait of Watonai. Below we see small sketches, some for perhaps robe designs. Kuniyoshi has drawn quickly the fringes of the robe, and he has drawn a single one in detail of twisted rope, which would indicate that all of the fringes were to be drawn like this when the drawing was finalized. The s