Twenty-four Selected Paragons
of Filial Piety
(Mitate nijûshi kô,
見立廾四孝)
Publisher: Kakumoto-ya
Kinjirô
1854-1855
This series pairs scenes from kabuki plays with one of the twenty-four paragons of filial piety
suggested by the scene. It is listed
as number 170 in Kuniyoshi by Basil
William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches
(36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban,
and the total number of prints in the series is unknown. |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Taishun (T’a Shun in Chinese) is being helped by elephants and
birds cultivate his parents’ fields. Kabuki
scene:
actor Bandô Shûka I standing next to an elephant holding a staff Date: 10th
month of 1855 |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Ôshô (Wang Hsiang in Chinese) went to a frozen pond and lay naked
on the ice until it melted in order to catch fish for his stepmother Kabuki
scene:
actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Heiji with a large straw hat looking down into
the water from an outcropping on the bank Date: 10th
month of 1855 |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Ôhô (王褒, Wang P’ou in
Chinese) at his mother’s grave during thunder storms to comfort her spirit,
because she had feared lightning while alive Kabuki
scene:
Actor Nakamura Fukusuke I (Nakamura Shikan IV) as Sadajin Shihei-ko subduing
two attackers in the cart stopping scene from the play Sugawara denju tenarai kagama (The Secret of Sugawara’s
Calligraphy) Date: 10th
month of 1855 |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Rôraishi (老荘子, Lao Lai Tzu
in Chinese) dressed and behaved like a young child to amuse his senile
parents. Kabuki
scene:
Iwai Kumesaburô Date: 6th
month of 1855 |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Kyôshi (姜詩, Chiang Shih
in Chinese) about to catch fish for his aged mother Kabuki
scene:
Actor Bandô Shûka I as Kuzunoha kitsune peering into the water in the play Ashiya dauman ochi kagami Date: 10th
month of 1855 |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Chûyû (Chung Yu in Chinese) carrying ice on his back for his
parents Kabuki
scene:
Actors Bandô Shûka I as Komachi and actor Iwai Kumesaburô Date: 10th
month of 1855 |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Gomô (Wu Mêng in Chinese) with smoking pot to keep mosquitoes
away from his sleeping father Kabuki
scene:
Actor Otani Tomoemon IV as villain fanning smoking fire at foot of actor Onoe
Kikujirô II in female role Date: 6th
month of 1855 |
|
Paragon of
filial piety: Kôkaku (Chiang Ko in Chinese) Kabuki
scene:
Actor Iwai Kumesaburô Date: 6th
month of 1855 |
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN PAGE
|