Actors bowing to audience

 

Kabuki actors began each new theatrical year with a kaomise (顔見世) or “face-showing” ceremony that introduced the actors performing at that theater during the coming season.  At the same time, formal announcements were made from the stage in a ceremony known as Kôjô (口上).  These were usually held in November and featured the actors bowing to the audience.  These prints do not merely show actors bowing at the conclusions of performances.  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for assisting with this section.

 

Actors: Left sheet: Bandô Tamasaburô I

Center sheet: Bandô Mitsugorô IV

Right sheet: Ichikawa Danzô V and the child actor, Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII

PlayTsumoru Koiyuki no sekinoto (積恋雪関扉)

Date: 11th month of 1832

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô 

Actors: Nakamura Shikan II accompanied by the child actor, 9-year-old Nakamura Komatarô (中村駒太郎)

Date: 9th month of 1833

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

Text: Edo onagori kôjô Nakamura Shikan segare Komatarô, 江戸 御名残口上 中村芝翫 同駒太郎

 

NOTE: Nakamura Shikan II addressing the audience in anticipation of his departing the Edo stage for Osaka and introducing his son Komatarô 

 

Actors: Nakamura Shikan (中村 芝翫) and Nakamura Shibazô (中村芝蔵) at the Nakamura-za Theater saying farewell the Edo audience before a tour to Osaka

Date: 9th month of 1833

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô

 

Kuniyoshi - Onoe Tamizô II addressing the audience, Pub

 

Actors: Onoe Tamizô II addressing the audience

Play:

Date: c. 1839-1842

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

NakamuraUtaemonIV&SekiSanjûrôIII

 

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV and Seki Sanjûrô III

Date: 4th month of 1840

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô

 

NOTE: The star, Nakamura Utaemon IV, is announcing that Ichikawa Yaozô V has changed his name to Seki Sanjûrô III.  I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Actors:

Date: c. 1840-1842

Publisher:

A hanshita-e (final drawings) of Ichikawa Ebizô V from 1843-1846 (censor Kinugasa Fusajirô) 

 

Actors: Ichikawa Kodanji IV and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII

Play: Yashima no ura ume no koamise (八島裏梅鑑)

Date: 11th month of 1847 (censors Hama and Kinugasa)

Publisher: Koga-ya Katsugorô

Kuniyoshi - (triptych y) Actor addressing the audience, pub

 

Actors: Unidentified actor of the Nakamura line

Date: c. 1847-1849

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

 

 

Actors: Unidentified

Date: c. 1848-1852

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

 

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII

PlayDate kurabe Okuni kabuki (伊達競阿国戯場, The Date Rivalry and Okini Kabuki)

Date: 3rd month of 1849 (censors Yoshimura and Kinugasa

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

 

The poem is by Umeya Kakuju

 

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII

Play: Meiboku Sendai hagi (伽羅先代萩, Nikki Danjô and the Disputed Succession)

Date: 3rd month of 1849 (censors Kinugasa and Yoshimura)

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

 

NOTE: The poem is by Umeya Kakuju.  Note the similarity in design between this print and the preceding print.

The two prints have the same design as the preceding print, but with a different face and a different, and unidentified, actor’s mon (crest)

 

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV and Nakamura Fukusuke I

PlayModorikago Iro ni Aikata (戻駕色相肩, A Returning Palanquin)

Date: 11th month of 1849 (censors Mera and Murata)

Publisher: Tama-ya Sôsuke

 

The text is a speech from the play.

 

 

 

Another state of the above design without a publisher’s seal

 

Actors: Iwai Kumesaburô III (left), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII (center), and Ichikawa Ebizô V (right) bowing to the audience

Date: 1849-1850 (censors Kinugasa and Watanabe)

Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi

 

Another state with the actor’s names (岩井粂三郎, 市川団十郎, and市川海老蔵)

 

An additional state without any text.

 

Actors: Bandô Hikosaburô IV (坂東 彦三郎) Ichimura Uzaemon XIII (市村 羽左衛門) greeting the audience

Text: 水道の味はかわらぬ気生かな

Date: 1849-1850 (censors Kinugasa and Watanabe)

Publisher: Maru-han

 

 

Actors: Ichikawa Ebizô V (left) and two unidentified actors (right)

Play:

Date: c. 1849-1850

Publisher: No seal

 

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for the image on the left

These two prints show Ichikawa Ebizô V bowing to the audience.  They were printed from some of the same woodblocks as the left sheet of the preceding diptych.  The seals of censors Kinugasa and Watanabe corrospond to a date of 1849-1850.  The print on the right has an unidentified publisher’s seal.

                          

                                               

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII and Bandô Shûka I

Date: 1851-1852 (censors Kinugasa and Murata)

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

 

Actors: Nakamura Fukusuke I and his younger brother Nakamura Masajirô I

Date: 6th month of 1852

Publisher: Kawachi-ya Chôzô

 

Nakamura Fukusuke I is introducing his younger brother, Nakamura Masajirô I, who is visiting Edo from Osaka.

 

 

Actors: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII (left) and Kataoka Gadô II (right) bowing to the audience

Date: 11th month of 1853

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

I am grateful to Erik Wissing for this alternate state of the above design.

Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII died by suicide in the 8th month of 1854.  The left sheet of the preceding diptych was reissued, with some modifications, as this memorial print (shini-e). The oval censor’s seal is still dated the 11th month of 1853.

Actor: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII

Date: 1854

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

 

NOTE: The censor’s seals (Kinugasa and Murata) indicate that this print was originally issued in 1851-1852, and then reissued as a shini-e in 1854. 

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