Actors bowing to audience

Kabuki actors began each new theatrical year with a kaomise (顔見世) or “face-showing” ceremony that introduced the actors performing at that theater during the coming season. At the same time, formal announcements were made from the stage in a ceremony known as Kôjô (口上). These were usually held in November and featured the actors bowing to the audience. These prints do not merely show actors bowing at the conclusions of performances. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for assisting with this section.

Actors: Left sheet: Bandô Tamasaburô I Center sheet: Bandô Mitsugorô IV Right sheet: Ichikawa Danzô V and the child actor, Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Play: Tsumoru Koiyuki no sekinoto (積恋雪関扉) Date: 11^th month of 1832 Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô
	Actors: Nakamura Shikan II accompanied by the child actor, 9-year-old Nakamura Komatarô (中村駒太郎) Date: 9^th month of 1833 Theater: Nakamura Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô Text: Edo onagori kôjô Nakamura Shikan segare dô Komatarô, 江戸 御名残口上 中村芝翫 忰 同駒太郎 NOTE: Nakamura Shikan II addressing the audience in anticipation of his departing the Edo stage for Osaka and introducing his son Komatarô
	Actors: Nakamura Shikan (中村 芝翫) and Nakamura Shibazô (中村芝蔵) at the Nakamura-za Theater saying farewell the Edo audience before a tour to Osaka Date: 9^th month of 1833 Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô
	Actors: Onoe Tamizô II addressing the audience Play: Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô
	Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV and Seki Sanjûrô III Date: 4^th month of 1840 Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô NOTE: The star, Nakamura Utaemon IV, is announcing that Ichikawa Yaozô V has changed his name to Seki Sanjûrô III. I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.
Actors: Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher:
A hanshita-e (final drawings) of Ichikawa Ebizô V from 1843-1846 (censor Kinugasa Fusajirô)
	Actors: Ichikawa Kodanji IV and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Play: Yashima no ura ume no koamise (八島裏梅鑑) Date: 11^th month of 1847 (censors Hama and Kinugasa) Publisher: Koga-ya Katsugorô
	Actors: Unidentified actor of the Nakamura line Date: c. 1847-1849 Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
	Actors: Unidentified Date: c. 1848-1852 Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
	Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Play: Date kurabe Okuni kabuki (伊達競阿国戯場, The Date Rivalry and Okini Kabuki) Date: 3^rd month of 1849 (censors Yoshimura and Kinugasa Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei The poem is by Umeya Kakuju
	Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Play: Meiboku Sendai hagi (伽羅先代萩, Nikki Danjô and the Disputed Succession) Date: 3^rd month of 1849 (censors Kinugasa and Yoshimura) Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei NOTE: The poem is by Umeya Kakuju. Note the similarity in design between this print and the preceding print.
The two prints have the same design as the preceding print, but with a different face and a different, and unidentified, actor’s mon (crest)
	Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV and Nakamura Fukusuke I Play: Modorikago Iro ni Aikata (戻駕色相肩, A Returning Palanquin) Date: 11^th month of 1849 (censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Tama-ya Sôsuke The text is a speech from the play.
	Another state of the above design without a publisher’s seal
	Actors: Iwai Kumesaburô III (left), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII (center), and Ichikawa Ebizô V (right) bowing to the audience Date: 1849-1850 (censors Kinugasa and Watanabe) Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi
	Another state with the actor’s names (岩井粂三郎, 市川団十郎, and市川海老蔵)
	An additional state without any text.
	Actors: Bandô Hikosaburô IV (坂東 彦三郎) Ichimura Uzaemon XIII (市村 羽左衛門) greeting the audience Text: 水道の味はかわらぬ気生かな Date: 1849-1850 (censors Kinugasa and Watanabe) Publisher: Maru-han
Actors: Ichikawa Ebizô V (left) and two unidentified actors (right) Play: Date: c. 1849-1850 Publisher: No seal I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for the image on the left
These two prints show Ichikawa Ebizô V bowing to the audience. They were printed from some of the same woodblocks as the left sheet of the preceding diptych. The seals of censors Kinugasa and Watanabe corrospond to a date of 1849-1850. The print on the right has an unidentified publisher’s seal.
	Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII and Bandô Shûka I Date: 1851-1852 (censors Kinugasa and Murata) Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
	Actors: Nakamura Fukusuke I and his younger brother Nakamura Masajirô I Date: 6^th month of 1852 Publisher: Kawachi-ya Chôzô Nakamura Fukusuke I is introducing his younger brother, Nakamura Masajirô I, who is visiting Edo from Osaka.
Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII (left) and Kataoka Gadô II (right) bowing to the audience Date: 11^th month of 1853 Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi
I am grateful to Erik Wissing for this alternate state of the above design.
Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII died by suicide in the 8^th month of 1854. The left sheet of the preceding diptych was reissued, with some modifications, as this memorial print (shini-e). The oval censor’s seal is still dated the 11^th month of 1853.
Actor: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Date: 1854 Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke NOTE: The censor’s seals (Kinugasa and Murata) indicate that this print was originally issued in 1851-1852, and then reissued as a shini-e in 1854.

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