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. |
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Actors: Nakamura Shikan II accompanied by the child actor, 9-year-old
Nakamura Komatarô (中村駒太郎) Date: 9th
month of 1833 Theater: Nakamura Publisher: NOTE: Nakamura Shikan II addressing the audience in anticipation of his
departing the |
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Actors: Onoe Tamizô II addressing the
audience Play: Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: |
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Actors: Ichikawa
Danjûrô VIII Play: Meiboku Sendai hagi
(伽羅先代萩, Nikki Danjô and the Disputed Succession) Date: 3rd
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) |
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Actors: Ichikawa Ebizô V (left) and two unidentified actors (right) Play: Date: c. 1850 Publisher: No seal I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for the
image on the left |
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An alternate state of one sheet from the
preceding diptych. The seals of censors Kinugasa and Watanabe
date this print to 1849-1850. |
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Actors: Play: Date kurabe Okuni kabuki (伊達競阿国戯場, The Date Rivalry
and Okini Kabuki) Date: 3rd
month of 1849 (censors Yoshimura and Kinugasa Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei The poem is by Umeya Kakuju |
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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 |
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Actors: Iwai Kumesaburô Date: 1849-1850
(censors Kinugasa and Watanabe) Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi |
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Another state of the above design |
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Actors: Ichikawa Kodanji IV and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Play: Yashima no ura ume no koamise
(八島裏梅鑑) Date: 11th
month of 1847 (censors Hama and Kinugasa) Publisher: Koga-ya Katsugorô |
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Actors: Unidentified
actor of the Nakamura line Date: c. 1847-1849 Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke |
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Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV and Seki Sanjûrô Date: 4th
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. |
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Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV and Nakamura Fukusuke I Play: Modorikago Iro ni Aikata (戻駕色相肩, A Returning Palanquin) Date: 11th
month of 1849 (censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Tama-ya Sôsuke The text is a speech from the play. |
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Another state of the above design
without a publisher’s seal |
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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: 9th
month of 1833 Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô |
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Actors: Unidentified Date: c. 1848-1852 Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke |
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Actors: Nakamura
Fukusuke I and his younger brother Nakamura Masajirô
I Date: 6th
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: Date: 11th
month of 1853 Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi |
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I am grateful to Erik Wissing for this alternate
state of the above design. |
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Ichikawa
Danjûrô VIII died by suicide in the 8th 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 11th month of 1853. |
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Actor: 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. I am grateful to Robert Pryor
for this image. |
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Actors: Left sheet: Bandô Tamasaburô I Center sheet: Bandô Mitsugorô
IV Right sheet: Ichikawa Danjûrô VII and the child actor, Ichikawa
Shinnosuke II, who will become Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Play: Tsumoru Koiyuki no sekinoto (積恋雪関扉) Date: 11th
month of 1832 Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô |
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Actors: Date: c. 1840-1842 Publisher: |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this hanshita-e
(final drawings) of Ichikawa Ebizô V from 1843-1846 (censor Kinugasa
Fusajirô). |
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