Double and triple bust portraits of actors,

Part I

 

Included in this section are diptychs and triptychs in which at least one sheet is a double or triple bust portrait.  Additional double bust portraits of actors may be found in the series Flowers of Edo, Five Otokodate and the untitled series of double actor portraits in books folded open.  It is possible that some of the illustrated single sheets are from larger compositions.  Unless otherwise noted, these prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.  I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this section.

 

 

Actors: Bandô Shuka I as the Buddhist nun Narukami (女鳴神尼) and Arashi Kangorô I in an unidentified role

Play: Kumo no uwasa onna Narukami (雲艶女鳴神)

Date: 6th month of 1854

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei

 

double head portrait of Nakamura Utaemon IV as Takagi Oriaemon and Onoe Kikujiro II as his wife Umenoi in 'Takagi Ôtaemon budôgoto roku', (8)1848, 100-6765

 

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Takagi Oriaemon (高木折右エ門) and Onoe Kikujirô II as his wife Umenoi (女房梅の井)

Play: Takagi Oriemon budojitsu roku (高木織右武実録)

Date: 8th month of 1848

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Horimasa

 

 

Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Yamauba and Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Kwaido Maru (Kintoki) in the play Yukima no ichikawa performed at the Kawarasaki Theatre 4th day (11)1848

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Yamauba and Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Kaidômaru (Kintoki)

Play: Takigi o yukima no Ichikawa (薪荷雪間の市川)

Date: 11th month of 1848 (censors Mera and Murata)

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Horimasa

 

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits) 100-8530

 

Actors: Ichilawa Danjûrô VIII as Heigawara Jirozô (平瓦次郎蔵, top) and Bandô Hikosaburô IV as Akogi no Heiji (阿古木 平治)

Play: Seishu Akogi gaura

Date: 10th month of 1849

Publisher: Mikawa-ya Tetsugorô

 

 

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits) 2035

 

Actors: Onoe Baikô IV as Heisaku’s daughter (musume) Oyone (平作娘お米) and Sawamura Chôjûrô V as Gofukuya Jûbei (呉服屋十兵衛)

Play: Igagoe Yomikiri kôshaku (伊賀越読切講釈)

Date: 9th month of 1848

Theater: Kawarazaki

Publisher: Horimasa

 

I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan and Horst Graebner for identifying this print. 

 

 

 

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits)  c1849-, Prince Genji is handed a letter by Kawajiro

 

Actors: Ichilawa Danjûrô VIII as Mitsuuji (光氏, suggesting Prince Genji) being handed a letter by Nakamura Kantarô I as Kawajirô (川次郎)

Play: Genji Moyô furisada hinagata (源氏模様娘雛形)

Date: 9th month of 1851

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei

 

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits) actors as Natsume Shirosaburô holding a child and female bandit kishin Omatsu, (Alt

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Natsume Shirosaburô (夏目四郎三郎) holding a child and Bandô Shuka I as the female bandit Kishin Omatsu (盗賊鬼神於松, top)

Play: Shinpan koshi no shiranami (新板越白浪)

Date: 9th month of 1851

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei

 

 

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits) 'Tôzoku Kishin Omatsu', Natsume Shirosaburô holding a child and female bandit kishin Omatsu

 

Another state of the above print

1851-9ShinpanVariant

 

A later edition, probably for another production, with the actorsʼ names added in white cartouches.  I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits) c1847-48, Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Kumagai Jirô Naozane fighting with Iwai Hanshiro III as Mukan Daya Atsumori in 'Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki', 005-0345

 

Actors: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Kumagai Jirô Naozane (熊谷次郎直実) fighting with Ichikawa Saruzô I as mukan taifu Atsumori (無官の太夫敦盛)

Play: Ichinotani futaba gunki (一谷嫩軍記)

Date: 3rd month of 1850 (censors Hama and Magome)

Theater: Kawarazak

Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei

 

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits) Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Yoshikado & Onoe Kikujiro II as Kikyo-no-mae in 'Azuma Dairihana Yoshikado', 1848, pub

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Yoshikado and Onoe Kikujirô II as Kikyo-no-mae

Play: Azuma dairi hana mo Yoshikado (東都内裡花能門)

Date: 11th month of 1848 (censors Mera and Murata)

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Horimasa

 

1848-8NakamuraUtaemonIV&SekiSanjûrôIII

 

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Ôtaka Tonomo (大高主殿) and Seki Sanjûrô III as Yokoyama Daizô (横山大蔵)

Play: Takagi Oriemon budojitsu roku (高木織右武実録)

Date: 8th month of 1848

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi

 

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Kuniyoshi%20-%20Nakamura%20Utaemon%20IV%20as%20Otaka%20Tonomo%20biting%20on%20a%20silk%20cloth%20as%20he%20performs%20ritual%20seppuku%20and%20Nakamura%20Tsuruzô%20I%20as%20Ryôshi%20Ganzô%20in%20'Takagi%20Oriemon%20budojitsu%20roku',%20005-1240

 

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Ôtaka Tonomo (大高主殿) biting on a silk cloth as he performs ritual seppuku and Nakamura Tsuruzô I as Ryôshi Ganzô (猟師鴈蔵)

Play: Takagi Oriemon budojitsu roku (高木織右武実録)

Date: 8th month of 1848 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Horimasa

 

 

 

Kanedon Chûshingura, becourse above it must be Ôboshi Yuranosuke, 1847-52

 

Actors: Sawamura Chôjûrô V as Ôboshi Yuranosuke (大星由良之助, top) and Iwai Kumesaburô III as Ôboshi Rikiya (大星力彌)

Play: Kanedon Chûshingura

Date: 7th month of 1849

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô

Genji+and+Tasogare+-+Ichikawa+Danjuro+as+Genji+and+Bando+Shuka+as+Tasogare,+Publisher+Kadomaru-ya

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Mitsuuji (光氏, suggesting Prince Genji) and Bandô Shuka I as Tasogare (たそがれ)

Play: Genji Moyô furisada hinagata (源氏模様娘雛形)

Date: 9th month of 1851

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kadomaru-ya

 

 

 

1851-9BandôShûkaI&IchikawaDanjûrôVIIIVariantCartouches

 

Another state of the above design with the actorsʼ names written in a different script.  I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Miyagi Asojirô (宮木阿曽次郎, male role) and Bandô Shûka I as Miyuki, the blind koto player (秋月娘深雪 後ニ朝顔)

Play: The Akashi no Ura Funawakare scene from Eiri Shôsetsu Asagao Monogatari (絵入稗史蕣物語)

Date: 8th month of 1848 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô

Kuniyoshi -  (double actor portraits) A blind koto player entertaining a nobleman, c

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Komazawa Jirozaemon (駒澤治郎左エ門, top) and Bandô Shuka I as Miyuki (盲女朝顔), the blind koto player

Play: The Yadoya scene from Eiri Shôsetsu Asagao Monogatari

Date: 8th month of 1848 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô 

 

 

The evil murderous Hag creeping up on her last intended victim

 

Actors: Bandô Shûka I as Danshichi Okaji (団七お梶) and Seki Sanjûrô III as Giheiji Obaba (義平次お婆ア)

Play: Shinzô tsurifune kidan (新造艣奇談)

Date: 5th month of 1852

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Isekane

 

NOTE: There is a festival parade in the background

 

Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Hige no Ikyu (top), Bandô Shuka I as Miuraya Agemaki (middle) & Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Hanakawado Sukeroku (bottom) in 'Sukeroku kuruwa no hanamidoki', (3)1850, 100-2556

 

Actors: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Hige no Ikyu (髭の意休, top), Bandô Shuka I as Miuraya Agemaki (三浦や揚巻, middle), and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Hanakawado Sukeroku (花川戸の助六, bottom)

Play: Sukeroku kuruwa no hanamidoki (助六廓の花見時) 

Date: 3rd month of 1850

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher:

 

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

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KuniyoshiProject