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Bought this print at antique store for a big discount. No information from seller. Wanting to know the translation, age, or subject.

Many thanks from a long-time lover of this forum!

Your Japanese woodblock print is by Utagawa Kunisada. It was done fairly early in his career. Going by the signature alone, I would guess circa late 1820s. If you blow up the date seal (the small dime-sized circular seal in the center of the 3rd picture), I can tell the year printed.

Do you know the size? Since there are two signatures, I am guessing that it is a diptych formed by joining two oban prints.

Cheers,
Stan

That is great information! Thanks for all the help. They are 10x15 each so probably Oban as described. I have attached an enlarged picture of the censor's seal that for the date.

That doesn't help. It's the kiwame censor seal - not a date seal. This print predates the Nanushi censor seals. That makes it before 1842. geo is probably closer to right than I was. Say circa 1840.

Yes. 2 oban sized prints. This is an actor print. The female role is the onnagata Onoe Eizaburo (?). I can't see the characters over the samurai role to try to figure out who it is.

See the link below to look up the second actor.

Cheers,
Stan

URL Title :Actors depicted by Kunisada

Actually, this is a Japanese print by Kunisada - the most prolific of Ukiyo-e print artists. It dates to early 1840s.

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