Memorial prints (Shini-e)

Part I

Memorial prints, also called “death prints” and “shini-e” commemorated the death of actors, artists and musicians, but the vast majority commemorated kabuki actors. They typically portray the recently deceased actor in light blue robes (shini sôzoku), and often include such information as the date of death, age, posthumous Buddhist name (kaimyô), and place of burial. The largest production of memorial prints followed the suicide of Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII on August 8, 1854. Many memorial prints are unsigned, and were produced by artists of very modest talent in response to a large demand from the deceased actor’s fans. Some shini-e were newly created, and some were reprinted from existing woodblocks, usually altered. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for assisting with this section.

	Actor: 57-year-old Bandô Mitsugorô III Date: 1831 Publisher: Matsumura Tatsuemon Text: 天保二年辛卯極月廾七日 行年五十七歳 I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.
	Actor: 57-year-old Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東三津五郎) Date: 1831 Text: 行年五十七才　天保二卯年十二月廾七日　実誉秀佳信士　芝増上寺地中常照院 Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiemon
Actors: Memorial portraits of actors Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川 菊之丞, left) and Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東 三津五郎, right) Date: 1832 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô Text on left panel: 本所押上大恩寺 瀬川菊之丞 天保三年壬辰正月六日 行年三十一才 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 Text on right panel: 芝月界院 坂東三津五郎 天保二年辛卯極月廾七日 行年五十七才 実誉秀佳信士
Actors: Memorial portraits of actors Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川 菊之丞, left) and Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東 三津五郎, right) Date: 1832 Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiyemon Text on right panel: 天保二年辛卯極月廾七日 行年五十七歳 I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.
I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state with additional text in the right upper corner.
Actors: Memorial portraits of actors Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川 菊之丞, left) and Iwai Hanshirô VI (岩井 半四郎, right) Date: 1836 Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei Text on left panel: 本所押上大雲寺 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 去ル天保三年正月七日 俗名 瀬川菊之丞 Text on right panel: 深川浄心寺 六代目岩井半四郎 行年三拾八才 天保七年乙申四月八日 深窓院梅我日鮮信士
Sheets from other states of the above design
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) Date: 1832 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô
Two states of this shihi-e of Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) with different texts Date: 1832 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei Text on left panel: 天保三辰年正月六日 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 本所押上大雲寺 五代目瀬川菊之丞 行年三十一才 Text on right panel: 五代目瀬川菊之丞 行年三十二才 天保三年壬辰正月六日
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) Date: 1832 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô Text: 五代目瀬川菊之丞 行年三十二才 天保三辰年正月六日
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) Date: 1832 Text: 天保三年壬辰正月六日 行年三十一才 五代目 瀬川菊之丞 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 本所押上泰雲寺 Publisher: Shimizu-ya
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) Date: 1832 Publisher: Oden
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V sitting with incense Date: 1832 Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) with prayer beads and butterflies Date: 1832 Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiyemon Text: 天保三年壬辰正月六日 五代目三十一才 瀬川菊之丞
Two different states of a shini-e of Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) seated with incense Date: 1832 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô Text: 瀬川菊之丞 天保三年壬辰正月六日 行年三十一歳 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 押上大雲寺
Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞, left) and Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東三津五郎, right) Date: 1832 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô Text in left panel: 五代目瀬川菊之丞 行年三十一才 天保三年辰正月七日 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 本所押上大雲寺 Text in right panel: 坂東三津五郎 行年五十七才 天保二年卯十二月廾七日 実誉秀佳信士 芝増上寺地中常照院
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) Date: 1832 Publisher: Matsumura Tatsuemon I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞) Date: 1832 Text: 天保三壬辰正月六日 瀬川菊之丞 行年三十一才 Publisher: Daikoku-ya
	Actor: Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東三津五郎, top) and Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞, bottom) Date: 1832 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei Text: 天保二年極月廾七日 芝増上寺寺内常照院 行年五十七才 坂東三津五郎 同三年壬辰正月七日本所押上大雲寺 行年三十一才 瀬川菊之丞 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞, left) and Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東三津五郎, right) Date: 1^st month of 1832 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô Text: 年五十七才 坂東三津五郎 実誉秀佳信士 天保二卯十二月廾七日 五代目三十一才 瀬川菊之丞 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 天保三年辰正月七日
	Actor: Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞), Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東三津五郎) and Sawamura Tanosuke II (沢村田之助) Date: 1832 Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô Text: 天保二卯極月廾七日 坂東三津五郎 実誉秀佳信士 瀬川菊之丞 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 天保三壬正月七日 古人沢村田之助
Actor: Diptych showing Segawa Kikunojô V (瀬川菊之丞, left) and Bandô Mitsugorô III (坂東三津五郎, right) Date: 1832 Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô Text on left panel: 五代目瀬川菊之丞 行年三十一才 天保三辰ノ年正月六日 勇誉才阿哲芸信士 本所押上大雲寺 Text on right panel: 坂東三津五郎 行年五十七才 天保二卯年十二月廾七日 実誉秀佳信士 I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.
Memorial portraits of actors and playwrights who died from the mid-1820’s to 1832, including in the center the recently deceased Bandô Mitsugorô III. It resembles a program for a season opening (kaomise banzuke). The print was publisher by Yamaguchi of Bakuro-chô and is signed eshi Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi hitsu (絵師一勇斎国芳筆). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

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