TOYOKUNI III-KUNISADA (17986–1865) Three annotated and colour-enhanced preparatory drawings for the series of oban tate-e prints *Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi no uchi*, ‘The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tôkaidô’, also known as ‘The Tôkaidô by Kunisada’, depicting respectively: the actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV in the role of Ishikawa Goemon, at Torii Nawate, between Hamamatsu and Maisaka; the actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII in the role of Kagekiyo, at Miya; the actor Onoe Kikugorô III in the role of Shirai Gonpachi committing seppuku. Collector’s stamp in the lower right-hand corner. (Under a passe-partout). Japan, mid-19th century. THREE SHITA-E FOR THE PRINTS OF THE TÔKAIDÔ SERIES BY KUNISADA, JAPAN, MID-19TH CENTURY. DIM. (IMAGE) 37.8 X 26.4 CM (14 3/4 X 10 3/8 IN.)