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38 Original Japanese Kabuki Stage Photographs – Taishō–Early Shōwa Period, 1920s–1930s
A group of 38 original Japanese kabuki stage photographs (butai-shashin) from the Taishō to early Shōwa period, primarily dating from the 1920s–1930s.
The photographs document kabuki actors in costume, individual theatrical roles, and staged scenes. The group includes warrior roles, formal male roles, onnagata performances, portraits, and multi-figure stage compositions with period scenery and props.
An important documentary feature of the collection is the information preserved on the reverses. Several photographs carry handwritten Japanese inscriptions, production notes, names, or stamps. These are being transcribed individually and checked against historical kabuki records. Where the surviving evidence permits, individual photographs are being identified by play, character, actor, and specific production.
The collection is currently being researched and catalogued by the Riga Gallery of Japanese Art as a dedicated Kabuki Theatre photographic archive, with individual front and reverse images and historical documentation. Further information about the collection is available through the gallery's public research catalogue under Kabuki Theatre.
The photographs are offered together as one group of 38 and are not sold separately.
Material and technique: Original photographic prints on paper
Period: Taishō–early Shōwa period, primarily 1920s–1930s
Size: Approx. 9 × 13 cm each
Quantity: 38 photographs
Condition: Good antique/vintage condition with natural signs of age. Toning, fading, minor surface and edge wear, handling marks, and occasional small creases vary from photograph to photograph. Handwritten inscriptions and stamps on the reverses are original documentary features of the photographs. Please review the photographs carefully for the condition of individual pieces.
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