Actor triptychs

1855-1856

Actors: From right: Bandô Takesaburô I as Nakayama Yaichiro, Ichikawa Kodanji IV Marino Yashiro, Iwai Hanshirô VIII as Mekake Kikuno, Sawamura Chôjûrô V (probably) as Iwata Senjûrô, and Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Kamata Matahachi

Play: Matsutaka temari fushi jitsuroku (松高手毬諷実録)

Date: 7^th month of 1855

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Actors: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Kamata Matahachi (鎌田又八)

Play: Matsutaka temari fushi jitsuroku (松高手毬諷実録)

Date: 7^th month of 1855

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Actors: Left sheet: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as the ghost of Kamada Matahachi

Right sheet: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Marino Kanemitsu and Iwai Kumesaburo III as the nun Kyodai

Play: Matsutaka temari fushi jitsuroku (松高手毬諷実録)

Date: 7^th month of 1855

Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô

Actors: Left sheet: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Matsudaiya Shirobee (松台屋四郎兵衛), Bandô Hikosaburô V as Chiyosuke (千代助), and Nakamura Kasuke as Tomiya Yokurô (富屋与九郎)

Right sheet: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Tsutsuki Yasobee (筒木弥惣兵衛)

Play: Matsutaka temari fushi jitsuroku (松高手毬諷実録)

Date: 7^th month of 1855

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Mikawa-ya Kihei

Actors: Left sheet: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Isshin Tasuke (一心太助)

Center sheet:

Right sheet:

Play: Matsutaka temari fushi jitsuroku (松高手毬諷実録)

Date: 7^th month of 1855

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Ki-ya Sôjirô

Actors: Left sheet: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Isshin Tasuke (一心太助)

Right sheet:

Play: Matsutaka temari fushi jitsuroku (松高手毬諷実録)

Date: 7^th month of 1855

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Actors: Ichikawa Kodanji IV as the robber (tôzoku) Jiraiya (盗賊地雷也) and Ichikawa Ebizô V as Senso Dôjin

Play: Katakiuchi Jiraiya monogatari (The Story of Jiraiya’s Revenge, 報讐自来也説話)

Date: 8^th month of 1855

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kamaya Kihei

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Actors: Onoe Kikujiro II as Okoyo (おこよ)

Play: Yume Musubu Chô ni Torioi (夢結蝶鳥追)

Date: 12^th month of 1855

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher:

Triptych title: Fashionable Living Dolls (Furyu ningyo, 風流人形）

Description: This triptych illustrates a group of carved “dolls” displayed at Kannon Temple in Asakusa. Although the word ningyô is usually translated as “dolls”, these lifelike dolls (iki-ningyô) were in fact extremely realistic life-sized clothed mannequins. The scene is from a kabuki play about Iwafuji and Ohatsu.

Date: 2^nd month of 1856

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Triptych title: Figures of the Loyal Retainers (Gishi ningyô, 義士人形)

Description: Kobayashi Heihachiro in Morono’s palace. This triptych illustrates a group of carved “dolls” displayed at Kannon Temple in Asakusa. Although the word ningyô is usually translated as “dolls”, these lifelike dolls (iki-ningyô) were in fact extremely realistic life-sized clothed mannequins. The scene is from the kabuki play Kanadehon Chûshingura.

Date: 2^nd month of 1856

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Triptych title: Picture of the Chûshingura Night Attack (Chushingura youchi zu, 忠臣蔵夜討図)

Date: 3^rd month of 1856

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Another state of the above design with the subtitle Elegant Living Dolls (Fûryû iki-ningyô, 風流生人形) added to the right sheet on the snow-covered roof. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

The Forty-seven Ronin Attacking Moronao's Mansion from the Front, 1856, pub Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Triptych title: Figures of the Night Attack of the Loyal Retainers (義士人形夜討之図)

Description: Left sheet: Yoshida Sadaemon Kanesada (吉田定右衛門兼貞) and Ôboshi Rikiya Yoshikane (大星力弥良兼)

Center sheet: Ôtaka Gengo Tadao (大高玄吾忠雄)

Right sheet: Oribe Yahei Kanamaru (織部矢兵衛金丸) and Hara Gôemon Mototoki (原郷右衛門元辰) This triptych illustrates a group of carved “dolls” displayed at Kannon Temple in Asakusa. Although the word ningyô is usually translated as “dolls”, these lifelike dolls (iki-ningyô) were in fact extremely realistic life-sized clothed mannequins. The scene is from the kabuki play Kanadehon Chûshingura.