Kanadehon Chûshingura

(假名手本忠臣蔵)

Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei

1847

This series shows scenes from the 1847 performance of the kabuki play “Kanadehon Chûshingura” at the Nakamura Theater in Edo. It is listed as number 169 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for his contributions to this series.

	Act: 1 Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Ko no Morono (the historical Kira Yoshinaka) and Onoe Kikugorô III as Lady Kaoyo Inset: Ashikaga Tadayoshi arrives at the Hachiman Shrine Scene: Moronao accosts Kaoyo who rejects his advances
	Another state in which Moronao has a blue mustache
	Act: 2 Actors: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Momonoi Wakasanosuke (若狭之助) and Sawamura Chojûrô V as Kakogawa Honzô (本蔵, foreground) Inset: Rikiya and Konami Scene: Honzô cuts the pine branch as a message to Momonoi Wakasanosuke
	Act: 3 Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Yano Kanpei and Bandô Shuka I (Bandô Mitsugorô V) as Koshimoto Okaru (female role)    Inset: The omen of the battle of bees and hornets Scene: Kanpei fights off Moronao’s henchmen after abandoning his station to be with Okaru
	Another state with a plain ground
	Act: 4 Actors: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Enya Hangan and Iwai Kumesaburô III as Rikiya Inset: Yuranosuke retrieves Enya’s seppuku blade Scene: Enya Hangan waits with Rikiya before committing seppuku
	Another state without any purple
	Act: 5 Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Ono no Sadakurô (斧定九郎) Inset: Kanpei hunting with his gun Scene: Sadakurô wipes his blade after killing Yoichibei and stealing the money
	Another state with a white publisher’s seal. The print shows karazuri (embossing, gauffrage, or blind printing) in Sadakurô’s loincloth:
	Act: 6 Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Yano Kanpei (勘平) and Bandô Shuka I as Okaru (おかる, female role)    Inset: Two ronin disguised as komusô (begging monks) approach Kanpei’s house Scene: Kanpei returns home to Okaru
	Another state without any purple
	Another state
	Act: 7 Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Heiemon (平右衛門) and Bandô Shuka I as Okaru (お軽, female role)  Inset: Blindfolded, Yuranosuke feigns dissolution in the Gion teahouse Scene: Heiemon contemplates killing his sister Okaru to keep the ronin’s secret
	Act: 8 Actors: Onoe Baikô IV as Konami (戸無瀬) and Iwai Kumesaburô III as her mother Tonase (小浪) Inset: Travellers on the road Scene: Konami and Tonase pass Mt. Fuji on the bridal journey
	Another state in which the inset has a plain ground
	Act: 9 Actors: Sawamura Chojûrô V as Kakogawa Honzô (本蔵) in the snow raising his basket-hat to say farewell to his family Inset: Yuranosuke and Rikiya inspect Honzô’s map of Moronao’s mansion Scene: Honzô disguised as a komusô (begging monk) discovers Konami and Tonase at Yuranosuke’s house
	Act: 10 Actors: Matsumoto Kinshô I as Gihei (義平) and Onoe Kikujirô II as Osono (おその), his wife  Inset: Ronin with the armor and weapons provided by Gihei Scene: Gihei is reunited with his wife Osono, who has stolen the letter of divorce from her father
	Act: Act 11, scene 1 Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Moronao (upper figure) and Onoe Kikugoro III as Ôboshi Yuranosuke Inset: The battle in Moronao’s mansion Scene: Yuranokuke with Enya’s seppuku blade and the cornered Moronao
	Act: 11, scene 2 Actors: Onoe Kikugoro III as Ôboshi Yuranosuke (由良之助) and actor Nakamura Utaemon IV probably as Jutaro Inset: Heiemon reports the raid’s success to Enya’s widow Kaoyo Scene: Yuranokuke and probably Jutaro offer incense to Enya’s spirit NOTE: In the play, Jutaro is the first ronin to offer incense.
	Another state without Kuniyoshi’s kiri seal and without bokashi (shading) in the green ground

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