Wonderful portrait of the magician Nikki Danjô from the Kabuki play „Date Kurabe Okuni“ (伊達競阿国戯場). It is the scene in which the magician morphs into a giant rat in order to steal an insidious scroll. The hero of the play, Arajishi Otokonosuke, attacked the rat with his kozuka. The bleeding cut on the magician's forehead is still visible when he reconverts within a cloud of smoke to human shape holding the scroll in his mouth. Danjô is wearing a light grey kimono which has the same colour of a rat. A wonderful dramatic picture of the popular Kabuki villain with fantastic details.

Artist: Hosai-Baido (1848-1920)
Format: ca. 24 x 35, 5 cm, (Oban) Corners as pictured.
Year of publication: after 1892
Condition: Very good. Print and colours are brilliant. Minimal crease marks in the center of the picture. The lower right corner is slightly rubbed.

This image may slightly vary in colour to the original - due to the photo/scan.