Sharaku

Sakata Hangorō III as the Villian Fujikawa Mizuemon (1794) - Canvas

Size Guide

• Print Details
• The Art
• Shipping and Returns

• Capturing the beauty of the original artwork

  Every one of our prints is made using the Giclee printing process, for a museum-quality look and feel that does justice to the original art.

  Giclee printing is the gold-standard for preserving the meticulous detail and stunning colors that we love in the Japanese masters. All our prints are fade and fingerprint resistant, so you can enjoy their beauty for years to come.

  We chose to offer 12”x18” (30cm x 45cm) as this was closest to the “chuban” size sheets used for woodblock prints historically.

  All of our prints come with matte finish for a more authentic appearance.

  Framing Options:
  

  • Unframed
  • Framed - black
  • Canvas wrap

  Ready-to-Hang and Made to Last

  Mounting brackets are included and centered on our framed prints and canvas wraps.

  All of our prints are made to last, with fade-resistant colors and materials. See how they arrive in the unboxing videos below.

• About the Art

  Reaching up his sleeve, Mizuemon’s piercing eyes evoke an uneasy feeling of suspicion as he readies himself to draw his sword.

  This scene comes from the play "The Iris Soga Story of the Bunroku Period", and is a typical 'adauchi mono' or "revenge play". Kabuki plays originate from dramatised stories of real life contemporary Japanese society. However, as time passed, Kabuki playwrights adapted them by combining them with other popular tales. This is why the family name ‘Soga’ features in so many.

  The plot is based on the revenge of Ishii Genzo against his rival Mizuemon. The evil Mizuemon corrupts Ishii Hyoe, father of two boys, into thinking that his wife is being adulterous. This provokes him into killing her, and years later the brothers seek revenge for their mother’s death.

  Sharaku proves that you can create drama and tension using just a simple colour palette. The grey background, which so often featured in his works, used 'mica'; a glossy powder made from finely milled mother-of-pearl. Unlike many yakusha-e artists, Sharaku often exaggerated the negative features of the actor, particularly when playing villainous roles. Sharaku’s life is a mystery as he seemingly appeared and promptly disappeared out of nowhere. Although he created nearly 150 incredible prints, his working life as an artist spanned a period of only ten months, and there is no evidence of him having had any professional training.

• We're proud to offer a shipping policy that compares favorably with any online retailer.

  Country	Product	Shipping Cost	Shipping Time (Business Days)
  🇺🇸 | United States	Any	Free	5-7
  🇬🇧 | United Kingdom	Any	Free	1-2
  🇨🇦 | Canada	Fine Art Prints (Unframed)	Free	7-10
  🇨🇦 | Canada	Canvas Wraps, Framed Prints	$30	7-10
  🇦🇺 | Australia	Any	Free	2-4
  🇮🇪 | Ireland	Any	Free	2-4
  🇪🇺 | EU - Western Europe	Any	Free	2-5
  🇪🇺 | EU -  Eastern Europe	Varies by country - calculated at checkout	Varies	7-14
  🇳🇿 | New Zealand	Any	Free	2-4
  🌏 | Worldwide	Varies by weight - calculated at checkout	$20-50	Varies

  You can find full details regarding shipping and delivery here.

  We're sure you'll love your prints. However, if there are any problems with the printing, we're happy to offer a free exchange or refund 100% of the purchase price. Simply return the print within 30 days. For full details of our refunds and exchanges policy click here.