Slaghout met portret van Ichikawa Danjûrô VII en langoustine
ca. 1825
Medium
nishikie, with metallic pigments, blindprinting and tsuyazuri
Dimensions
201; 170
About this artwork
collector's mark, passe-partout, bottom left, printed: JABdH with a rooster.
Art Historical Context
**Slaghout met portret Ichikawa Danjûô VII en langoust** is a captivating ukiyo-e woodblock print by Totoyakei, a prominent Japanese artist active during the Edo period (ca. 1825). Hokkei, a pupil of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, specialized in surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned prints often exchanged as New Year's greetings among literati. This intimate work (201 × 170 mm) features a portrait of the renowned kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VII alongside a langoustine dangling from a slaghout (butcher's hook), blending theatrical portraiture with playful still-life elements typical o...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...