Set of Views of
(Nanatsu iroha Tôto Fuji zukushi,
七ツいろは東都富士盡)
Publisher:
Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
1852
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This series of prints shows bust portraits of kabuki actors in character in front of a view of Mount Fuji as seen from Edo (modern Tokyo). The cartouche in the right upper corner is bordered by objects from the play. Instead of being numbered, the right upper corner of each cartouche contains a syllable that may be arranged in an alphabet-like order called iroha. This series is listed as number 181 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this series. |
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Actor: Sawamura Chôjûrô V as Fujiya Izaemon (藤屋伊左衛門) in the kabuki play Kuruwa Bunsho View of Mt. Fuji: Mount Fuji seen from Ayase (あかせの冨士) Iroha order: No. 1 (い, i) |
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Actor: Ickikawa Danjûrô VIII as
Jiraiya, a Robin Hood-like bandit who appeared in a series of plays View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mt. Fuji from Ohashi (盗賊児雷也 大橋之不二) Iroha order: No. 4 (に, ni)
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Actor: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Abe no Yasuna in the kabuki play Ashiya dauman ochi kagami View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mt. Fuji from Ochanomizu (by Yoshi’iku) Iroha
order:
No. 5 (ほ, ho) |
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Actor: Onoe Baikô IV
as Chidori holding cloth around her shoulders View of Mt. Fuji: Mt. Fuji from Susaki (海士千鳥 すさきのふし) Iroha order: No. 6 (へ, he) |
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Actor: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Gotobei (五斗兵衛) in the kabuki play Yoshitsune Koshigoe-jo View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mt. Fuji from a street in Edo where a festival procession is taking place Iroha
order:
No. 7 (と, to) |
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Another state of the above print with Mt. Fuji being most
different |
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Actor: Onoe Kikujirô II as Gonda Imoto Osato in the kabuki play Goban Tadanobu Yuki no Kuroshiro (碁盤忠信雪黒白) View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mt. Fuji from Tsukudajima, with fireworks being
launched from a boat Iroha
order:
No. 9 (り, ri) Information courtesy of Guy Pepermans |
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Actor: Bandô Takesaburô I as Inuma Katsugorô in the kabuki play Hakone Reigen Izari no Adauchi View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mt. Fuji from Kudan-zaka (slope) Iroha
order:
No. 10 (ぬ, nu) |
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Actor: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as
Maruami Gorô View of Mt.
Fuji:
View of Mt. Fuji from Iroha
order:
No 14 (か, ka) NOTE: The left sheet is from this series, and the right
sheet is probably a memorial print (shini-e)
for Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII, who died September 27, 1854, in Osaka,
Japan. I am grateful to Guy Pepermans and Robert Pryor for information about these
images. |
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Actor: Ichikawa Kuzô II as the yakko (servant) Yokampei in the kabuki play Ashiya Doman Ouchi Kagami View of Mt.
Fuji: Iroha
order:
No. 15 (ょ, yo) |
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Actor: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Igami no Gonta in
the kabuki play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mount Fuji seen from the Iroha
order:
No. 16 (た, ta) |
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Actor: Matsumoto Kôshirô View of Mt.
Fuji: Iroha
order:
18 (そ, so) |
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Actor: Bandô Shûka I as Urami Kuzunoha (fox) in the kabuki
play Ashiya dauman
ochi kagami View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mt. Fuji from the Ketanborô rice paddies (signed Torter) Iroha order: No. 21 (Ha, 葉は) |
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Actor: Iwai Hanshiro VII as Oboshi Rikiya Koretaka View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mt Fuji from Man-nen bridge by Tori (Kuniyoshi’s
daughter Yoshitori) Iroha
order:
No. 22 (ら, ra) |
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Actor: Bandô Shûka I as Yugiri (夕きり) View of Mt.
Fuji:
Mount
Fuji seen from Asakusa (浅草おく山の富士) Iroha
order:
No. 23 (む, mu) |
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Actor: Unidentified actor as Nogitsunehei (野狐平) View of Iroha order: No. 26 (の, no) |
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Actor: View of Iroha
order:
No. 28 (く, ku) |
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Actor: actor as poet
Ono-no Tofu in the kabuki play Ono no Tofu aoyagi
suzuri View of Iroha
order:
No. 32 (ふ, fu) |
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Actor: Arashi Kichisaburô III as the sumô wrestler Inuta Kobungo Yasuyori in a kabuki play based on Bakin’s novel Nansô satomi hakkenden View of Iroha
order:
No. 33 (こ, ko) |
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Actor: Nakayama Bungorô as Akuemon (悪右衛門) View of Iroha
order:
No. 36 (ぁ, a) |
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Actor: Matsumoto Kôshirô V as Kimon Kihei in the kabuki play Osome Hisamatsu
ukina yomiuri View of Iroha
order:
No. 38 (き, ki) |
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Actor: Bandô Mitsugorô III as
Ôboshi Yuranosuke View of Iroha
order:
No. 39 (ゆ, yu) |
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Actor: View of Iroha
order:
No. 41 (み, mi) |
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This is one of several series of prints
Kuniyoshi designed consisting of bust portraits with irregularly shaped
cartouches in the right upper corner.
In each of these series, the cartouche is bordered by small pictures. The table below shows a typical cartouche
from each of these series as well as the script within the cartouche that
identifies the series. The color of
the cartouches is not a reliable guide to identifying the series, as it may
vary with successive printings.
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