Actor triptychs

1847, Part I

Actors: Left sheet: Ôtani Tomoemon IV as Oniô Shinzaemon (鬼王新左衛門) and Bandô Shûka I as Maidzuru (舞つる)

Center sheet: Onoe Tamizô II as Yawata Saburô (八幡三郎), Nakamura Gennosuke II as Jûrô Sukenari (十郎祐成), and Ichikawa Ebizô V as Soga Gorô

Right sheet: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Ômi Kotôta (近江小藤太), and Onoe Kikugorô III as Kudo Saemon (工藤祐経)

Play: Kumite Mimasu Soga no Hatsuyume (綬三升曽我初夢)

Theater: Nakamura

Date: 1^st month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Publisher: Koga-ya Katsugorô

Actors: Seki Sanjûrô as yakko Yata (奴 矢田平)

Play: Kumite Mimasu Soga no Hatsuyume (綬三升曽我初夢)

Date: 1^st month of 1847

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Actors: Iwai Kumisaburô III as Aburaya Osome (left), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Honchô Tsunagorô (center), and Bandô Hikosaburô IV as Aburaya Daisaburô (right)

Play: Kumite Mimasu Soga no Hatsuyume (綬三升曽我初夢)

Date: 1^st month of 1847 (censors Hama and Kinugasa)

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Actors: Iwai Kumisaburô III as Aburaya Osome (油屋お染, left), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Honchô Tsunagorô (本町綱五郎, center), and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as detchi (apprentice) Hisamatsu (てつち久松, right)

Play: Kumite Mimasu Soga no Hatsuyume (綬三升曽我初夢)

Date: 1^st month of 1847 (censors Hama and Kinugasa)

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Wakau (若宇)

I am grateful to Paul Steier for this image.

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Ishikawa Goemon (石川五右衛門, left) and Iwai Kumesaburô III as Kirihime (桐姫, right)

Play: Kumite Mimasu Soga no Hatsuyume (綬三升曽我初夢)

Date: 1^st month of 1847

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Uhei

NOTE: The right sheet bears the seals of the censors Hama and Kinugasa, which are appropriate for the 1^st month of 1847. However, the left sheet has the seal of the censor Watanabe Shôemon, which was used alone from the 6^th month of 1842 to the 5^th intercalary month of 1846, indicating that the panel was originally designed for a different production. I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for information about this diptych.

Actors: Left sheet: Asao Tamejûrô as Sakurai Rinzaemon (桜井林左工門) fighting Ichikawa Kuzô II as Ikezoe Magohachi (池添孫八), and an unidentified actor as Koshiai Kanshiro (越合官四郎)

Center sheet: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Karaki Masaemon (唐木政右エ門)

Right sheet: Ôtani Tomoemon IV as Sawai Matagorô (沢井又五郎) fighting Matsumoto Kinshô I as Wada Shizuma (和田静夫), and an unidentified actor as Takeuchi Dennai (竹内傳内)

Play: Norikake Soga dôchû sugoroku (飾駒曽我通双六)

Date: 1^st month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Actors: Matsumoto Kinshô I as Wada Shizuma (left), Otani Tomoemon IV as Sawai Matagoro (center), and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Karaki Masaemon (right)

Play: Norikake Soga dôchû sugoroku (飾駒曽我通双六)

Date: 1^st month of 1847

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Nomura-ya Tokubei

Actors: Left sheet:

Center sheet: Otani Tomoemon IV as Sawai Matagoro and Matsumoto Kinshô I as Wada Shizuma

Right sheet:

Play: Norikake Soga dôchû sugoroku (飾駒曽我通双六)

Date: 1^st month of 1847 (censors Mera and Murata)

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Ningyô-ya Takichi

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state with a solid red title cartouche.

Actors: Left sheet:

Center sheet: Otani Tomoemon IV as Sawai Matagoro

Right sheet:

Play: Norikake Soga dôchû sugoroku (飾駒曽我通双六)

Date: 1^st month of 1847 (censor Fukatsu Ihei)

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Actors: Left sheet: Fujikawa Kayû III as Azuma (あづま) and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Yamazaki no wan hisa (山崎の椀久)

Center sheet: Sawamura Sojûrô V as Horie no Wankyû (堀江の椀久)

Right sheet: Onoe Baikô IV as Matsuyama (松山) and Seki Sanjûrô III as menu Gohei (めんう 五兵衛)

Play: Omeyana gitsui no aigasa (梅柳対相傘)

Date: 1^st month of 1847

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Dankurô (団九郎, left), Onoe Kikujirô II as Oren (おれん, center), and Bandô Hikosaburô V as Kichisuke (吉助, right)

Play: Butai no Hana Yayoi no Irotoki (台比雪花隅色薗)

Date: 2^nd month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Uhei

Actors: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Mihonoya Shiro Kunitoshi (国登志, left), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Dankurô (団九郎, center), and Onoe Kikujirô II as Masamune musume Oren (正宗 娘 れん, right)

Play: Butai no Hana Yayoi no Irotoki (台比雪花隅色薗)

Date: 2^nd month of 1847

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Actors: Onoe Tamiziô II as sumô wrestler Onigatake Horaemon (鬼ヶ嶽鉄右衛門, left) and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as wrestler Akitsushima Kuniemon (秋津嶋 国右衛門, right)

Play: Sekitori Nidai no shobu zuke (関取二代勝負付)

Date: 2^nd month of 1847

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi

Actors: Onoe Tamiziô II as sumô wrestler Onigatake Horaemon (鬼ヶ嶽洞右衛門, left) and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as wrestler Akitsushima Kuniemon (秋津嶋国右衛門, right)

Play: Sekitori Nidai no shobu zuke (関取二代勝負付)

Date: 2^nd month of 1847

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kobayashi-ya Matsugorô of Honseki-chô

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

I am grateful to Marc Devriese for this image of another state of the above print without the gourd-shaped publisherʼs seal.

Actors: Sawamura Sojûrô V as Yoshida Matsuwaka maru (left), Bandô Shuka I as Seigen (center), and Onoe Kikugorô III as Sarushima Sota (right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kazusa-ya Iwazô

NOTE: Princess Hanako became the Buddhist nun Seigen after learning that her fiancé, Matsuwakamaru, had died.

A sheet from another state of the above design, courtesy of Marc DeVriese

Actors: Onoe Kikugorô III as Sarushima Sota (猿嶋惣太, left), Bandô Shûka I as Ohatsu (召仕おはつ, center), and Sawamura Sojûrô V as Yoshida Matsuwakamaru (吉田の下部軍助, right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

Another state of the above design without the roles in red boxes

Actors: Bandô Shûka I as Ohatsu (left) and Sawamura Sojûrô V as Lady Iwafuji (right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kyôji

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

Actors: Bandô Shûka I as Ohatsu (left) and Sawamura Sojûrô V as Lady Iwafuji (right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Uhei

Actors: Onoe Baiko IV as chûrô Onoe (中老 尾上, left) and Sawamura Sojûrô V as Lady Iwafuji (局 岩藤, right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shoshichi

Actors: Sawamura Chôjûrô V as Yoshida Matsuwakamaru (left), Bandô Shuka I as Seigen (center), and Onoe Kikugorô III as Sarushima Sota (right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Horimasa

NOTE: Seigen is holding the kimono of her sister, princess Sakura, which she had just retrieved from the river. I am grateful to Michel Ouellet for locating this image.

Title of triptych: Crossing on the Sumida River (隅田川渡場之圖, Sumidagawa watashiba no zu)

Actors: Onoe Kikugorô III as Sarushima Sota (猿島惣太, left), Bandô Shuka I as the nun Seigen (女清玄, center), and Sawamura Chôjûrô V as Yoshida Matsuwakamaru (吉田松若丸) fishing for a woman’s kimono (right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

Title of triptych: 忠孝加々 見山

Actors: Bandô Shûka I as Ohatsu (召仕 お初, left), Onoe Baiko IV as chûrô Onoe (中老 尾上, center), and Sawamura Sojûrô V as Lady Iwafuji (局 岩藤, right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Mera and Murata)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

NOTE: The right sheet of this triptych was slightly modified and reprinted for the production of Kamakura yamasakura no gosho zome in the 3^rd month of 1848.

Title: Poetic Justice, Matsuwaka’s Biography (勧善懲悪 松若伝記)

Actors: Bandô Shuka I as the Buddhist nun Seigen (清玄尼, left) and Sawamura Sojûrô V as Yoshida Matsuwakamaru (松若丸, right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Another state of the above design

Actors: Bandô Shuka I as Seigen

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Hama and Kinugasa)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Actors: Sawamura Sojûrô V as Yoshida Matsuwakamaru (松若丸, left) and Bandô Shuka I as the Buddhist nun Seigen (清玄尼, right)

Play: Hatsu Sakura Onoe no Iwafuji (初桜尾上岩藤)

Date: 3^rd month of 1847

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Triptych title: Three People Drinking at the Beginning of Spring (Shunkyô sannin namayoi)

Dance interlude: Warau kado niwaka no shichifuku

Description: Ichikawa Kuzô II, Nakamura Utaemon IV as fisherman Hinokiguma Hamanari (center), and Matsumoto Kinshô I playing ken

Date: 3^rd month of 1847 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Takano-ya Tomoemon

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Triptych title: Comic Ken (Dôke miburi ken)

Dance interlude: Warau kado niwaka no shichifuku

Description: Nakamura Utaemon IV, Ichikawa Kuzô II, and Matsumoto Kinshô I playing ken

Date: 3^rd month of 1847

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Kadzusa-ya Iwazô

NOTE: The small figures illustrate the dance steps.

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