Polyptychs of actors of four or more sheets

Part I

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

Actors from left:

First: Ichikawa Ebizô V

Second: Bandô Mitsugorô III

Play:

Theater:

Date: 1832

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

Actors from left:

First: Iwai Hanshirô VI as Maidzuru (まいづる)

Second: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Soga no Gorô Tokimune (五郎時宗)

Third: Sawamura Tosshô I as Kudo Saemon (工藤祐つね)

Fourth: Onoe Kikugorô III as Jûrô Sukenari (十郎祐成)

Play: Fuji Ogito Mimasu Soga (富士扇三升曽我)

Date: 1^st month of 1833

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Actors from left:

First: Onoe Matsusuke III as Akazawa Jûsaku (赤沢十作)

Second: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Dozaemon Denkichi (土左衛門伝吉)

Third: Onoe Kikugorô III as Kichisaburô (吉三郎)

Fourth: Iwai Hanshirô VI as yaoya Oshichi (八百屋お七)

Play: Sono mukashi koi no edozome (其往昔恋江戸染)

Date: 1^st month of 1833

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

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: 3^rd 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)

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)

Title: 正名江戸っ子揃

Actors from left:

First: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Otonai (安の平兵衛)

Second: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Rai Shokuro (雷正九郎)

Third: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Karigane Bunshichi (雁金文七)

Fourth: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Hotei Ichiemon (布袋市右衛門)

Fifth: Sawamura Tosshô I as Gokuin Chiemon (極印千右衛門)

Play:

Theater:

Date: c. 1833-1835

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

Another state of the above center sheet with the actor’s name changed from Ichimura Uzaemon (市村羽左衛門) to from Iwai Hanshirô (岩井半四郎)

This altered version of the above design bears the seals of the censors Fuku and Muramatsu, indicating a date of 1849-1851.

This polyptych depicts male kabuki actors in female roles.

Title: None

Actors from left:

Ichikawa Ebizô V as Kaminari no Onaka (雷庄のおなか)

Iwai Shijaku I in an unidentified role

Onoe Baikô III as Gokuin no Osen (極印のおせん)

Iwai Tojaku I as Hotei no Oichi (布袋ノお市)

Play: A mitate (roles not actually performed on stage)

Date: c. 1833-1835

Publisher: Edo-ya Matsugorô

NOTE: Well-known actors are shown in female roles. The resemblance to the Five Otokodate suggests that these three sheets are from a polyptych of five sheets. I am grateful to Marc DeVriese and Michel Ouellet for these images.

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