Comic Paper Lantern Chûshingura

(Dôke Chôchingura, 道外てうちんぐら)

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi

c. 1830

This series portrays scenes from the kabuki play Kanadehon Chûshingura with paper lanterns in place of the actors’ heads. However, the lanterns resemble well-known actors of the day. Chôchin (lanterns) is substituted for chûshin (loyalty) in the title. This changes Chûshingura (A Treasury of Loyalty) to Chôchingura (A Treasury of Lanterns). The series is not listed in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The images are each about 7 by 10 inches (18 by 25 centimeters), a size known as chûban. Two images were printed on a sheet of paper about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

	Act: 1 Act: 2
	Act: 3 Act: 4
	Act: 5 Act: 6
	This chûban print was published by Iba-ya Kyûbei and has a similar cartouche. It portrays Act 8 of the kabuki play Kanadehon Chûshingura.

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