Comment - Kabuki portrait of a street knight (otokodate) looking with a worried frown. His kimono is covered with a floral adornment, and has an intriguing design featuring a yakko-dako or man kite, a hanetsuki rack or hagoita and a shuttlecock. a colorful ball, and a small drum. He carries a sword and a shakuhachi flute, often associated with street knights and a symbol of defiance of authorities.

The series title is written in the blueish cassette upper right margin. The title of the print is written in the adjacent yellowish cassette. As the title shows, kabuki star Bando Hikosaburo (V) plays the character Harugoro Aratamano.

The elaborate text is not read. This version has a horizontal red-white-green background. An additional version with a slanted blue-red-green background shows the same actor, seals, adrnments, and text, and has the same dimensions.

Series - "A Collection of Great Praises to Enhance the Name Recognition for Beautiful, Masculine Stars at the Five Seasonal Festivals" ("Mitate Gosekoku Hanakata Zoryoku Koichimei Honemei Kotoba", "美伊達五節 句　花方揃侠気名弘　一名ほめことば") or more descriptive as "Gallants for the Five Festivals" is a series of five kabuki actor prints, compared with five famous otokodate knights, representing five different festivals.


Artist - see Biography


Signature - Nanajûhassai Toyokuni hitsu (七十八歳豊国筆T), in streched oval whiteish toshidama cartouche (Otoshidama-in); yellow blockcutter's seal (Horikô Ryûzô, 彫工柳三) left to the otosidama; circular censor's seal above the otoshidama (I kyū aratame, 亥九改)


Publisher - Ebisuya Shōshichi (恵比須屋 庄七) seal below otoshidama and the shakuhachi flute


Image Size - 35.6 x 24.8cm (14" x 9 3/4")+ left margin as shown


Condition - single panel; nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);