Author: Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) here signed Toyokuni ga (豊国画).
Title: The courtesan Iroha from the tea house Kanaya (kanayauchi iroha, 仮名屋内いろは).
Subject: The Kabuki actor Sawamura Tanosuke (沢村田之助) as the courtesan Iroha.
Genre: yakusha-e (役者絵).
Size: large (ōban, 大判) 36,2cm x 25,4cm (14,25 x 10 inches).
Publisher: Kagiya Shōbee (鍵屋庄兵衛).
Period: c. 1861.
Trimmed: no
Backed: no
Code: UKSI01016

Condition: general condition are good. Colour is clear and well preserved. Any remarkable stain nor sign of damage or fixing. A crease can be slightly noticed on the upper-left corner. Embossing (karasuri / 空摺) technique has been used on the character' veil, collar and on the white background.

The Kabuki actor Sawamura Tanosuke playing the role of the courtesan Iroha from the Kana tea house.
The subject is probably taken from a sewamono (世話物 / kabuki drama about commoners and ordinary people) of the late 18th century written by Takeda Haruzō (竹田 治蔵), a dramatic love story known as kane ga naru kesa no uwasa (鐘鳴今朝噂) that I like to translate as "A morning rumor rings the bell".
Inside the brownish cartouche that spreads along the right border of the print there is a poem that says:

土用芽は薄き色葉のもみぢ哉

Doyōme ha usuki iroha no momiji kana

Are the midsummer sprouts autumn leaves of light colour?

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