Kabuki Theater Scene Album Sheet Featuring Kagekiyo and Demon Confrontation
Cartographer / Artist: Unknown (Japanese School)
Date Created: c. 1930
Medium: Woodblock print portfolio album sheet with color woodcut illustrations
Physical Dimensions: 9.1 × 6.7 in
Geographic Scope: Tokyo, Japan
Archive Catalog ID: multi1-img-2271
Provenance: The Dr. Joseph R. Rubini Archive
Collection: Japanese Woodblock Prints & Meiji Triptychs
This vibrant Japanese woodblock print album sheet features two distinct rectangular panels depicting iconic Kabuki theatrical scenes. The right panel is explicitly labeled with a yellow cartouche reading Kagekiyo (景清), referring to the famous Heian-era warrior Taira no Kagekiyo, a central hero in the Kabuki Juhachiban (Eighteen Greatest Plays). Dressed in elaborate, heavily patterned garments of crimson, yellow, and deep green, Kagekiyo displays dramatic red kumadori makeup, signaling righteous fury and heroic spirit, as he grips a sword guard in a powerful mie pose. The left panel depicts an intense supernatural confrontation between a demon-like antagonist with striking blue kumadori makeup and wild black hair, wielding a wooden mallet, and a devout figure below clad in yellow robes holding Buddhist prayer beads (juzu). Set against rich purple background fields, both scenes exhibit traditional Japanese color block techniques, expressive theatrical facial anatomy, and dynamic linework characteristic of twentieth-century theatrical printmaking.
Condition: Vibrant and saturated color preservation across both woodcut panels.. Mild uniform toning to the outer beige album mounting card.. Clean edges with slight wear around the outer margins of the backing sheet.




