Actor triptychs

1841, Part I

Actors: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Hanji Kihei (はんしものゝ喜平, left), Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Kamakura Kawagishi no Gorohachi (鎌倉川岸の五郎八, center), and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Kurofune Chuemon (黒船丁の忠右衛門, right)

Play: Fude Hajime Soga no fukubiki (筆始曽我福贔屓)

Date: 1^st month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Actors: Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Daikokumai Robyôshi no Otomatsu (大黒 まいろびやうしの音松) with inset of Senzai (left), Nakamura Utaemon IV as Daikokumai Minamezame no Otokichi (だいこく まいみなめざめの音吉) with inset of Sanbasô (center), and Ichikawa Kuzô II as Daikokumai Norizome no Sanzô (大黒 まいのりぞめの三蔵) with inset of Okina as (right)

Play: Fude Hajime Soga no fukubiki (筆始曽我福贔屓)

Date: 1^st month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Sanbasô (三番叟, left), Ichikawa Kuzô II as Okina (おきな, center), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as 千ざい (right)

Play: Fude Hajime Soga no fukubiki (筆始曽我福贔屓)

Date: 1^st month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this preparitory drawing for the preceding triptych.

Actors: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Jishû (時宗, left), Nakamura Utaemon IV as Kudô Suketsune (工藤祐経, center), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Jûrô Sukenari (十郎祐成, right)

Play: Fude Hajime Soga no fukubiki

Date: 1^st month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Jôshu-ya Juzo

NOTE: Each sheet bears the title Face-to-face Confrontation of the Three Instruments (Sankyoku mitate taimen, 三曲見立対面). It likens the confrontation of the Soga brothers to a competition among three musical instruments–shamisen, koto, and kokyû.

Actors: Ichikawa Ebizô V probably as Gorô Tokimune (かみくづひろいけんくわやの五郎, left) and Sawamura Tosshô I as Seijûrô (手代 清十郎, right)

Play: Koi zumô yawaragi Soga (恋相撲和合曽我)

Date: 1^st month of 1841

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

NOTE: Kuniyoshi’s signature appears on the folding screen. I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for information about this image.

Actors: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Soga no Gorô Tokimune (五郎時宗, left), Nakamura Utaemon IV as Kudo Saemon (工藤左衛門祐経, center), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Jûrô Sukenari (十郎祐成, right)

Play: Mauteoriso iro no tanemaki (舞奏いろの種蒔)

Date: 1^st month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Maru-ya Jimpachi

Actors: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Ukyio Tohira (浮世の戸平, left), Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Nagoya Kosanza (名古屋小山三, center), and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Monokusa Tarosaku (物草村の百性太郎作, right)

Play: Monogusa Tarô saku tekuda no yadake (物草太郎作手管歌当)

Date: 3^rd month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Jôshu-ya Juzo

Actors: Bandô Shuka I as Toyama tayu (遠山太夫 実ハ佐々木息女いてうの前, left) and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Nagoya Kosanza (名古屋小山三, right)

Play: Monogusa Tarô saku tekuda no yadake (物草太郎作手管歌当)

Date: 3^rd month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Echizen-ya Heisaburô

Actors: Ichikawa Kuzô II as Ukyio Tohira (浮世戸平, left), Nakamura Utaemon IV as Monokusa Tarosaku (物草村の太郎作, center), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Nagoya Kosanza (名古屋小山三, right)

Play: Monogusa Tarô saku tekuda no yadake (物草太郎作手管歌当)

Date: 3^rd month of 1841

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

NOTE: One of the two blue inks used to print this triptych undergoes a chemical change and turns black. In this print, the darkening is almost complete:

Actors: Nakamura Daikichi III as Tamao hime (玉折姫, left), Sawamura Tosshô I as Kumagai Naozane (熊谷次郎直実, center), and Iwai Shijaku I as Atsumori (太夫敦盛, right)

Play: Ichinotani futaba gunki (一谷嫩軍記)

Date: 4^th month of 1841

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei

Actors: Iwai Shijaku I as Kiku no Mahe (けいせい菅原 実ハ菊のまへ, left) and Ichikawa Ebizô V as 莵原の田五平 (right)

Play: Ichinotani futaba gunki (一谷嫩軍記)

Date: 4^th month of 1841

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Isa-ya Kisuke

Actors: Sawamura Tosshô I as Okabe no Rokutaya (岡部の六弥太)

Play: Ichinotani futaba gunki (一谷嫩軍記)

Date: 4^th month of 1841

Theater: Kawarasaki

Publisher: Mori-ya Jihei

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