Polyptychs of four or more sheets

Part II

 

 Actors from left:

Arashi Shichigorô IV as Mankô (まんかう), Bandô Aizô I as Ôtônai (大藤内), Kataoka Yoshimatsu as Nitta Shiro (仁田四郎), Nakamura Shikan II as Matano Gorô (又野五郎), Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Kogorobe (小五郎兵衛), Nakayama Mijoshi I as Ohime (大姫君), and Matsumoto Koshirô V as Kagekiyo (景清)

Yamashina Jinkichi IV as Zenjibofu (ぜんじぼふ), Sôriyô Jinroku II as Genta (源太), Bandô Mitsuemon I as Hataemon (畑右衛門), Segawa Michinosuke II as Naruto Hitomaru (人丸), Mimasu Gennosuke I as Denzô (伝三), Osagawa Tsuneyo IV as Tsukisayo (月小夜), Mimasu Daizaburô I as Kiichi Hôgen (鬼一), Bandô Minosuke III as Inubômaru (犬坊丸), and Ichikawa Jiuyoshizô III as Jûnai (十内)

Onoe Eizaburô III as Shôshô (少々), Bandô Hikozaemon II as Heiji (平二), Iwai Hanshirô VI as Maidzuru (まいずる), Onoe Matsusuke III as Dansaburô (団三郎), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Gorô (五郎), and Sawamura Tosshô I as Jûrô (十郎)

Bandô Tamasaburô I as Ninomiya (二の宮), Bandô Mitsugorô IV as Kudô Suketsune (工藤), Iwai Kumetarô as Katakai (片貝), Ichikawa Ebizô V as Ômi (近江), and Onoe Kikugorô III as Yahata (八幡)

Arashi Kanjûrô I as Yoshimori (義盛), Iwai Tojaku I as Oiso no Tora (大磯のとら), Kataoka Ichizô I as Asahina (朝比奈), Ichikawa Shinnosuke III as Gorômaru (五郎丸), and Ichikawa Danzô V as Onio (鬼王)

Naritaya Sobee I as Heizô (平三), Ichikawa Yaozô V as Noriyori (のりより), Arashi Kamenojô II as Izayoi (十六夜), Ichikawa Komazô V as Sukekane (すけかね), Seki Sanjûrô II as Shigetada (重忠), and Ôtani Tomoemon IV as Tochibô (とち坊)

 

Title on left sheet: Portrayal of the Glorious Soga Story from the Three Great Theatres of Edo, First Part (Dai Edo sanza mitate shôei Soga hatsu-hen, 大江戸 三座 見立昌栄曽我 初編)

Title on right sheet: Portrayal of the Glorious Soga Story from the Three Great Theatres of Edo, Second Part (Dai Edo sanza mitate shôei Soga ato-hen, 大江戸三座見立昌栄曽我 後編)

Description: Actors in roles from various plays about the Soga brothers

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô (川口屋正蔵)

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for the images and information about this polyptych.

This alternate state of the above design has several differences including: 

 Iwai Kumetarô (岩井粂太郎) and Bandô Tamasaburô I (坂東玉三郎) as Katakai (片貝) 

Bandô Tamasaburô I (坂東玉三郎) and Segawa Tamon II (瀬川多門) as Ninomiya (二の宮) 

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.

Title: Pictures of the Evening Cool at Ryogôku (両國夕涼之圖)

Description: Actors off stage with fireworks near the Ryôgoku Bridge

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

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

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.

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

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.

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- 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.

Panels from another state of the above polyptych without the green ground, also published by Ebisu-ya Shôshichi

Another state of the preceding polyptych with purple shading on top published by Miyakozawa (seal name Tôzawa, 都沢)

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.

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).

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)

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

Three sheets from another state of the above polyptych

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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