Polyptychs of four or more sheets
Part II
Actors from left:
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This alternate state of the above design has several differences
including:
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This polyptych, from 1850-1853, is composed of key block prints of
actors off-stage. A key block print is
an impression pulled from the first woodblock made by a carver from the
artist’s original drawing. The artist
would write instructions for each color on a separate key block print, and
the woodblock for each color was cut using one of these as a guide. In addition to being a guide for
carving the color woodblocks, the key block was also used to apply black ink
(usually) in the printing process. |
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Title:
Pictures of the Evening Cool at Ryogôku (両國夕涼之圖) Description:
Actors off stage with fireworks near the Date:
1849 Publisher:
Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô (川口屋正蔵) |
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Title: Description:
Actors standing in front of a screen, from left to right: Matsumoto Koshirô V as Rai
Shokuro (雷正九郎) Nakamura Shikan
II as Hotei Ichiemon (布袋市右衛門) Ichikawa Danjûrô VII as Karigane Bunshichi (雁金文七) Bandô Mitsugorô IV as the bandit Yasuno Heibei
(安野平兵衛) Onoe Kikugorô III as Gokuin Chiemon (極印千右衛門) Date: c. 1828-1832 Publisher: Matsumura Tatsuemon |
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Title: New Year’s
First Dream of Soga Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin
Soga no hatsuyume, 七福神曽我之初夢) Description:
Characters from The Tale of the Soga
Brothers in the guise of the seven lucky gods Date: Early 1847 (censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei |
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Actors from
left:
Nakamura Utaemon IV as Tanzen
(丹前) and the Heron
Maiden (鷺娘) Nakamura Utaemon IV as Sukeroku (助六) and his wife (旁妻) Nakamura Utaemon IV as a boatman (船乗) and the
Celestial Maiden (天女) Nakamura Utaemon IV as Ameuri no Sekishô (飴売の夕照) and in an
unidentified role Play:
Hanagoyomi iro no showake (花翫暦色所八景) Theater:
Nakamura Date:
3rd month of 1839 Publisher:
Jôshû-ya Kinzô I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for
this image. |
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Actors from
left:
Sawamura Sôjûrô V, Ichimura Uzaemon
XII, Ichikawa Kuzô II, Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII, and
Nakamura Kanemon IV Date:
1847-1850 Publisher:
Fujioka-ya Hikotarô |
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Title: Series of
Beauties (Bijin sorôi,
美人そろうい) Date: c. 1834 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô NOTE: These prints
are aizuri-e.
The panel on the left is from a different state than the other panels,
which have more text. |
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Warriors from
left:
Yamagata Saburohei Masakage (山縣三郎兵衛昌景), Takeda
Sama-no-suke Nobushige (武田佐馬介源信繁), Takeda Hosshô-in Harunobu Nyûdô
Shingen (武田晴信入道信玄), Yamamoto Kansuke Haruyuki Nyûdô Dôkisai (山本勘助入道道鬼蔡晴幸), and Kosaka Danjô-no-jô Masanobu (高坂 弾正定 昌信) Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shôshichi Date: c. 1845 NOTE: Each panel represents a seated champion
on the Takeda side in the Kawanakajima campaign with biographical text above
by Shôtei Kinsui. The top of each
print is shaded off with Takeda mon reserved.
Three of these panels are listed as S95f.5 in Kuniyoshi: The
Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press,
Ithaca, NY, 1982). I am grateful to
Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Panels
from another state of the above polyptych without the green ground, also
published by Ebisu-ya Shôshichi |
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Another
state of the preceding polyptych with purple shading on top published by
Miyakozawa (seal name Tôzawa, 都沢) |
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Series: A Series of Five on
Shellfish Gathering (Shiohi goban uchi, 汐干五番内) Size: Shikishiban (about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18
centimeters) Date: c. 1830 NOTE: These prints are listed in Heroes and Ghosts:
Japanese Prints by Kuniyoshi by Robert Schaap (Hotei Publishing, Leiden,
1998) as series 2.a.4.
I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Actors from
left:
Sawamura Tôzô III (澤村東蔵) Yamashita Kinsaku IV (山下金作) Ichikawa Sannojô I (市川 三之丞) and Nakamura
Kotoji (中村琴糸) Sawamura Kikuzô (沢村紀久蔵) and Onoe Eizaburô III (尾上栄三郎) Iwai Haruji (岩井春治) and Iwai Hanshirô VI (岩井半四郎) Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵) Date: 3rd month of 1833 Theater: Kawarasaki Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei NOTE: The Tsubouchi Memorial
Theatre Museum of Waseda University attributes this polyptych to the 1833
performance of Kanadehon Chûshingura (accessions 005-0141 and 005-0142). |
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The
two sheets on the right are from different states of the above
polyptych. The sheet on the left has a
slightly different layout and is published by Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô. It shows Onoe Eizaburô III (尾上栄三郎) and Segawa Kikusaburô III (瀬川菊三郎) |
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Title: Matsuchiyama in the Eastern Capital (Tôto
Matsuchiyama no zu, 東都真乳山の図) Description: Aizuri-e polyptych of beautiful women with
mountains in the background Date: c. 1834 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô |
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Three
sheets from another state of the above polyptych |
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Title: None Description: The Sanno Matsuri parade
Date: Probably 1844
(censor Tanaka) Publishers: Nuno-Kichi
(seal name 布吉) and Murata-ya Tetsu (seal name 村鉄) NOTE: Each sheet is about
10 by 7 inches (25 by 18 centimeters), a size known as chûban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
image. |
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