A kabuki actor treks through snow with sparrows at his feet

The actor Iwai Hanshirō V, named in the cartouche at upper right, walks through falling snow in a plain black kimono with a green-and-red patterned obi. He shoulders a bundle of straw wrapped in yellow matting, steadying it with one hand, and wears a purple under-robe and pale wooden geta. Sparrows perch and fly around his feet against snow-laden pines and rocks under a dark grey sky. The artist's signature and seal appear at lower right beside a publisher's mark.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861) brought heroes, monsters and spectacle into the ukiyo-e print. A pupil of Toyokuni, he made his name in 1827 with the series of the One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Suikoden, tattooed warriors caught mid-action, and went on to giant skeletons, cats, whales and satirical puzzles that slipped past the censors. His restless invention influenced Yoshitoshi and, much later, tattoo and manga art. His prints are held by the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Printed as a museum-grade giclée on Hahnemühle fine art paper using 12-ink archival pigment printing. Available handframed in FSC-certified wood with optional float glass, or unframed. Ships worldwide with free delivery to 30+ countries.