Kuniyoshi Project

Actor triptychs

1835, Part II

Actors: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as the palanquin carrier Azuma no Yoshirô (吾妻の与四郎, left), Mimasu Daizaburô I as the the kamuro Tayori (禿たより, center), and Mimasu Gennosuke I as the palanquin carrier Naniwa no Jirôsaku (浪花の次郎作, right)

Play: Hana Shôbu Iro ni Aikata (菖蒲色相肩)

Date: 5^th month of 1835

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei

NOTE: “Kamuro” (禿 or かむろ) is sometimes politely defined as a courtesan’s child-servant, but apprentice is a more correct translation.

Actors: Mimasu Gennosuke I as Naniwa no Jirosaku (浪花の次郎作, left), Mimasu Daizaburô I as the kamuro Tayori (禿たより, center), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Azuma no Yoshirô (あづまの与四郎, right)

Play: Hana Shôbu Iro ni Aikata (菖蒲色相肩)

Date: 5^th month of 1835

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei

NOTE: This triptych was actually designed by Kunisada in 1833 for the production of Hatsushibai Mutsumaji Soga (初芝居愛敬曽我) at the Nakamura Theater. In the original version, which bears Kunisada’s signature, the actors’ names are Nakamura Shikan II as Naniwa no Jirôsaku (left), Iwai Tojaku I as Tayori (center), and Seki Sanjûrô II as Azuma no Yoshirô (right):

Actors: Iwai Shijaku I as Yoshibei’s wife Kuome, sister of Chokichi (left), Iwai Kumetarô as Chôkichi (長吉, center), and Bandô Hikosaburô IV as Ume no Yoshibei (梅の由兵衛, right)

Play: Murasaki ni Somete Yoshibei (紫初由兵衛)

Date: 5^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Edo-ya Matsugorô

NOTE: Iwai Shijaku’s and Bandô Hikosaburô’s names are preceded by “having just returned from Kamigata” (Kudari, 下り).

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state without any purple.

Actors: Bandô Hikosaburô IV as Ume no Yoshibei (淪のよし兵衛, right)

Play: Murasaki ni Somete Yoshibei (紫初由兵衛)

Date: 5^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

NOTE: Bandô Hikosaburô’s name is preceded by “having just returned from Kamigata” (kudari, 下り). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information.

Actors: Iwai Kumetarô as Chôkichi (長吉, left), Bandô Hikosaburô IV as Ume no Yoshibei (梅の由兵衛, center), and Iwai Shijaku I as Koume’s wife (nyôbô Koume, 女房小梅, right)

Play: Murasaki ni Somete Yoshibei (紫初由兵衛)

Date: 5^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

NOTE: Iwai Shijaku’s and Bandô Hikosaburô’s names are preceded by “having just returned from Kamigata” (kudari, 下り). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information.

Actors: Ichikawa Koisaburô as Benkei (弁慶, left) and Ichikawa Komazô V as Ushiwakamaru (牛若丸, right)

Play: Ômi Genji senjin yakata (近江源氏先陣館)

Date: 5^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Title: Picture of the crowds visiting Rokuhara Kanzeon in the precincts of Shiba Shinmeigu (芝神明宮境内にて六波羅観世音開帳参詣群衆の図)

Description: Actors off stage with beautiful women

Actors: Left sheet: Bandô Mitsugorô IV and an unidentified actor of the Bandô line

Middle sheet: Morita Kanya, Bandô Minosuke III and Iwai Hanshirô VI

Right sheet: Arashi Kamenojô (?) and Sawamura Tosshô I

Date: 5^th month of 1835

Publisher:

Actors: Ichikawa Dansaburô V as Enjô Jizaemon (遠城治左衛門, left), Nakamura Shijûrô I as Ikuta Denpachi (生田伝八, center), and Ichikawa Komazô V as Kihachirô (喜八郎, right)

Play: Katakiuchi Azuma Hakkei (敵討東八景)

Date: 6^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Edo-ya Matsugorô

I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for the image.

Actors: Ôtani Tomoemon IV as Motoemon (元右衛門, left) and Iwai Kumetarô as Hayase Genjirô (源治郎, right)

Play: Matsuo denka chaya Atsumu (松王殿下茶屋聚)

Date: 7^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

Actors: Ôtani Tomoemon IV as Motoemon

Play: Matsuo denka chaya Atsumu (松王殿下茶屋聚)

Date: 7^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

Actors: Bandô Tamasaburô I as the woman of humble birth Osan (賎の女お山, left) and Sawamura Tosshô I as駕かき気がる紀の助, both holding puppets

Play: Chigiri gusa tabiji no yomeiri (道行契艸旅路の嫁入)

Date: 8^th month of 1835

Theater: Morita

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

Actors: Sawamura Tosshô I as Enya Hangan (判官, left), Bandô Mitsugorô IV as Takano Moronao (師直, center), and Ichikawa Danzô V as Honzô (本蔵, right)

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 8^th month of 1835

Theater: Morita

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image of an alternate state with a plain foreground and without any purple.

Another state of the right sheet of the above triptych with the actor’s name given as Bandô Hikosaburô IV (坂東　彦三郎) instead of as Ichikawa Danzô V (市川　団蔵). This may reflect a last-minute change in cast, or the reuse of existing woodblocks for a different production.

Actors: Bandô Tamasaburô I as Osono (おその, left) and Sawamura Tosshô I as Amakawakaya Gihei (天川屋儀平, right)

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 8^th month of 1835

Theater: Morita

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

NOTE: The left sheet of this diptych was actually designed by Kunisada in 1833. It was reprinted in 1835 with Kuniyoshi’s signature, a different face, and a few other changes. The original Kunisada print shows Onoe Kikugorô III as Osono (おその) in the play Kanadehon Chûshingura, performed in the 8^th month of 1833:

Actors: Left sheet: Sawamura Tosshô I as Enya Hangan (判官高貞)

Center sheet: Bandô Tamasaburô I as Kaoyo (かほ世)

Right sheet: Bandô Mitsugorô IV as Moronao (師直)

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 8^th month of 1835

Theater: Morita

Publisher: Emi-ya Kichiemon (left sheet) and Yamaguchi-ya Tobei (center and right sheets)

Actors: Sawamura Tosshô I as Hayano Kanpei (早野勘平, left) and Ichikawa Sumizô III as Ono Sadakurô (斧定九郎, right)

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 8^th month of 1835

Theater: Morita

Publisher: Yamashiro-ya Sahei

NOTE: A modified version of this design was republished for the performance of Chûshin meimei kikigaki zosho in the 6^th month of 1847.

Actors: Ichikawa Ichiyû I (市川一友) as Sagisaka Bannai (鷺坂伴内, left), Sawamura Tosshô I as Kanpei (勘平, center), and Bandô Tamasaburô I as Okaru (おかる, right)

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 8^th month of 1835

Theater: Morita

NOTE: This triptych depicts a dance with many quick changes of costume, which was performed between acts of Kanadehon Chûshingura. This particular dance is titled Michiyuki tabiji no hanamuko (道行旅路の花聟), but it is also known as Ochiudo (落人). This type of dance, with many quick costume changes, is known as a hengemono (変化物). I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for information about this triptych.

Actors: Iwai Hanshirô VI as Miyagino (百性与茂作娘宮城, left), who together with her younger sister Iwai Shijaku I as Shinobu (百性与茂作の娘夫信, right) is taking revenge on her father’s murderer, Shiga Danshichi (志賀台七, center)

Play: Go taihei ki momiji no Manmaku (後太平記栬錦帳)

Date: 9^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Takenouchi Magohachi

Actors: Matsumoto Kôshirô V as Daifukuya Sôroku

Play: Go taihei ki momiji no Manmaku (後太平記栬錦帳)

Date: 9^th month of 1835

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Actors: from left to right: Onoe Kikugorô III as Osono, Onoe Kikugorô III as Ota Ryôchiku (太田了竹), Sôriyô Jinroku II as Igo (伊吾), and Ichikawa Ebizô V as Amakawakaya Gihei (天川屋義平)

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 9^th month of 1835

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

NOTE: Both the left and center panels show Onoe Kikugorô III, and both are labeled as dual roles (futayaku, 二役).

Actors: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Horibe Yajibei (堀部弥次兵衛, left), Onoe Kikugorô III as Okaru (おかる, center), and Ichikawa Ebizô V as Hayano Kanpei (早の勘平, right)

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 9^th month of 1835

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state in which the center panel has different colors and is lacking a publisher’s seal.

Actors: Left sheet: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Ôboshi Yuranosuke (大星由良之助)

Center sheet: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Hangan (判官)

Right sheet: Kataoka Ichizô as Yamana Jirozaemon and Bandô Mitsugorô IV as Ishidô Umanojô

Play: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵)

Date: 9^th month of 1835

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

NOTE: This triptych reuses woodblocks originally carved for the production of Kanadehon Chûshingura in the 8^th month of 1833. The only change in the design is the substitution of Ichikawa Ebizô V (市川海老蔵) for Ichikawa Danzô V (市川団蔵) in the role of Ôboshi Yuranosuke.

Actors: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Horibe Yatsubei (堀辺弥津兵衛, left), Ichikawa Ebizô V as Hayano Kanpei (早野勘平, center), and Onoe Kikugorô III as Fuwa Katsuemon (不波勝右衛門, right)