Actor triptychs

1815 – 1846, Part II

 

Actors: Actors as Tokiwa-gozen (常盤御前, left), Yaheibee Munekiyo (弥平兵衛宗清, center), and Munekiyo’s wife (tsuma) Kashiwagi (宗清つま柏木, right)

Play: Possibly Kinryûzan Chikai no Ishizue (金龍山誓礎) performed in the 10th month of 1842 at the Nakamura Theater

Date: 1842-1846 with seal of the censor Watanabe Shôemon (top) and 12th month of 1853 (bottom)

Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke (top) and Izutsu-ya Shôkichi (bottom)

 

NOTE: This triptych was listed as “Tokiwa-gozen and Her Children in the Snowˮ by Robinson in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) based on his having seen only the left sheet. However, the privately published supplement states “This turns out to be a theatrical triptych, the production so far unidentified”.  The play may be Genpei sakigake tsutsuji (魁源平躑躅).

Actors: Bandô Mitsugorô IV as Sano Genzaemon (佐野源左衛門, left), Iwai Hanshirô VI as Shirotae (白妙, center), and Sawamura Tosshô I as the monk Saimyôji Tokiyori (西明寺時頼入道, right)

Play:

Date: c. 1833-1835

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Actors: Sawamura Tosshô I as the monk Saimyôji Tokiyori (西明寺時頼入道)

Play:

Date: c. 1833-1835

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as 古道具や☆助

Play:

Date: c. 1841

Publisher: Echizen-ya Heisaburô

Actors: Bandô Mitsugorô IV as Kazunosuke (かづさ之助, left), Onoe Kikugorô III as Kyubi Tarô (九尾太郎, center), and Kataoka Ichizô I as Futoshi Kaneto (金藤太, right)

Play: Probably a mitate

Date: c. 1831-1832

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô  

Actors: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Ono Sadakurô wiping his blade

Play:

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

Actors: Ichikawa Komazô V as Kumagai Jirô Naozane (熊谷次郎直実) and Ichikawa Imaroku (市川今六) in an unidentified role

Play: Possibly Ichinotani futaba gunki (一谷嫩軍記)

Date: c. 1834

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Actors: Unidentified actor as Urashlma Tarô (浦島 太郎) on a turtle

Play:

Date: c. 1837-1840

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Actors: Left sheet: Actor as Ariômaru (有王丸)

Center sheet: Actor as Kameomaru

Right sheet: Actors as Shunkan and Oyasu (female role)

Play: Hime Komatsu nenohi no asobi (姫小松子日の遊, Outing to Pick Pine Seedlings on the Rat Day of the New Year)

Date: 1842-1846 (censor Watanabe Shôemon)

Publisher: Tanba-ya Hanjirô

 

NOTE: This may be a triptych of a kabuki scene, disguised as a warrior print when actor prints were banned by the “Tenpô reforms”.  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Hime Komatsu nenohi no asobi (Outing to Pick Pine Seedlings on the Rat Day of the New Year)

Another state of the above design without any purple

 

NOTE: The actors’ faces and some other details were recarved to use this design for the production of Hime Komatsu nenohi no asobi (姫小松子日の遊) in the 9th month of 1850:

 

Keyblock prints for above triptych.  Note that the cesor’s seals were crossed out.  I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for this image.

Actors: Onoe Kikugoro III as Takehara Genpachi (left), Ichikawa Ebizo V as Omura Gengo (center), and Iwai Tojaku as Fujinami (right)

Play:

Date: c. 1833-1835

Publisher: Edo-ya Matsugorô

 

NOTE: This triptych is a mitate, meaning that it is an imaginary scene with actors who never actually appeared together on stage in these roles.

Actors: Iwai Shijaku I (left), Matsumoto Kôshirô V as Kyubi Tarô (九尾太郎, center), and Iwai Hanshirô VI (right)

Play:

Date: c. 1832-1836 (The actor Iwai Hanshirô VI held this name from the 11th month of 1832 to the 4th month of 1836.)

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei 

 

NOTE: Matsumoto Kôshirô’s name is preceded by mitate (見立), indication that he did not actually perform this role on stage.  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information. 

Actors: Nakamura Shikan II as Keisei Komurasaki (けいせい小紫)

Play:

Date: c. 1831-1832

Theater:

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

 

I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for information about this print.

Actors: Ichikawa Koisaburô (市川 鯉三郎) as Oniwaka Maru (鬼若丸)

Play:

Date: c. 1830

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

Actors: Sawamura Tosshô I as Abe no Yasuna (安倍の保名)

Play:

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

NOTE: The name Sawamura is written as 澤村 instead of the more common 沢村.

Actors: Ôtani Tomoemon disguising himself as a boar and Ichikawa Sumizô III (市川 寿美蔵, standing)

Play:

Date: 1834-1835

Publisher:

Actors: Bandô Hikosaburô IV as Hangandai Terukuni (判官代照國, left), Onoe Kikugorô III as Sugawara no Michizane (菅原の道真, center), and Ichikawa Ebizô V as Kakuju (right)

Play: Sugawara denju tenarai kagami (菅原伝授手習鑑)

Date: c. 1833-1835

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for the left and center panels.

Actors: Onoe Eisaburô III as Akitsushima’s wife [Osato] (秋津嶋女房)

Play: Possibly Sekitori Nidai no shobu zuke

Date: c. 1831-1835

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Actors:

Play:

Date: c. 1827-1831

Publisher: Probably Matsumura Tatsuemon (only triple mountain is preserved)

Actors: Left sheet: Ichikawa Danzô V as Ôboshi Yuranosuke (由良之助) and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Ôboshi Rikiya Yoshikane (力弥)

Right sheet: Onoe Kikugorô III as no Moronao (師直, standing) and Iwai Shijaku I as Lady Kaoyo (顔世)

Play: Kanadehon chûshingura (The Treasury of the Loyal Retainers)

Date: c. 1833

Theater:

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

NOTE: These two sheets seem to combine roles from two different productions of Kanadehon chûshingura in 1833.  The woodblocks were reused for an untitled series of Kanadehon chûshingura prints.

Actor:  Ichikawa Danjûrô VII (or possibly Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII)

Play:

Date: c. 1833

Theater:

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Actors:  Seki Sanjûrô II as Gorô Tokimune (五郎時宗, left), Onoe Kikugorô III as Jirokichi (次郎吉, center) and Bandô Mitsugorô IV in an unidentified role (right)

Play:

Date: c. 1832

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

 

NOTE: Each sheet is identified as a mitate (見立), meaning that the actors shown did not actually perform these roles together on stage.  The text on the sign is an advertisement for cosmeticsspecifically Senjoka (仙女 ) white face powder manufactured by the Sakamoto family (坂本氏).  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information.

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state of the above design.

Actors: Iwai Hanshirô V or VI as Gorô Tokimune (五郎時宗, left), Nakamura Shikan II as Kudô Saemon (工藤左衛門, center), and Sawamura Tosshô I as mitate Jûrô Sukenari (見立十郎祐成, right)

Date: c. 1831-1832

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

 

NOTE: Sawamura Tosshô’s role is described as mitate (見立) Jûrô Sukenari (十郎祐成), indicating that he did not actually perform this role on stage.  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information. 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state having red seals and an extra stroke above the kana poem. 

Actors: Sawamura Tosshô I (沢村 訥升, left) and Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川 菊之丞, right) 

Play: Probably Matsu Ochikara tomoe no Fujinami (松資巴藤浪)

Date: 1831-1832

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

NOTE: Suketakaya Takasuke III held the name of Sawamura Tosshô I from the 11th month of 1831 to the 6th month of 1844, and Segawa Kikunojô V held this name from the 11th month of 1815 to the 1st month of 1832.  Therefore, the diptych must date from the 11th month of 1831 to the 1st month of 1832.  I am grateful to Michel Ouellet for this image. 

Actors: Ichikawa Komazô V as Chûbei (忠兵衛, left), Iwai Komurasaki II (岩井小紫) as Umegawa (梅川, center), and Ichikawa Danzaburô as the fan seller (uchiwa-uri, うちわ うり, right)

Play: Probably Koi bikyaku yamato ôrai (恋飛脚大和往来), Koi no tayori sato no kanabumi (恋飛脚廓以字文), or a similar play

Date: 1831-1835

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

NOTE: Ichikawa Danzaburô V held this name from the 11th month of 1831 to the 10th month of 1843, and Iwai Matsunosuke II held the name of Iwai Komurasaki II until the 12th month of 1835.  I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for information about this triptych.

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