Actors playing the game of ken,

Part II

 

Kuniyoshi - Fox-ken of Osaka (Ôsaka kitsune-ken), Actors Nakamura Utaemon IV and Onoe Tamizô II

 

Title: Fox-ken of Osaka (Ôsaka kitsune-ken, 大阪きつねけん)

Description: Actors Nakamura Utaemon IV and Onoe Tamizô II playing ken

Play:

Date: 10th month of 1849 (censors Kinugasa and Watanabe)

Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi

Linhart: 52/10117

 

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

 

Kuniyoshi - A memorial print (shini-e) for ators Onoe Matsunosuke (standing left), Ichimura Uzaemon XII (sitting) and Matsumoto Kôshirô VI (right)

 

Title: Ken of the Three Buddhas (Sanbutsu ken, 三仏けん)

Description: A memorial print (shini-e) for actors Onoe Matsunosuke (standing left), Ichimura Uzaemon XII (sitting) and Matsumoto Kinshô I (right)

Date: 10th month of 1851

Publisher: No seal

Linhart: 53/10057

Kuniyoshi - A memorial print (shini-e) for actors Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII (standing left), Ichimura Uzaemon XII (sitting) and Nakamura Utaemon IV (right), 1854

 

TitleKen of the Three Buddhas (Sanbutsu ken, 三仏けん )

Actors: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Uraume no Kasuke (right), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Hachidaimenosuke (standing left), and Ichimura Takenojô V as Uzumasa no Kippei (standing)

Date: 1849 (censors Hama and Magome)

Publisher: No seal

Text三仏けん裏梅の歌升八代目之助うづまきの橘平裏梅の歌升[4]中村 歌右衛門 八代目之助[8]市川 団十郎 うづまきの橘平[5]市村 竹之丞

 

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Kuniyoshi - [Hana no naka no machi], (2)1852

 

Title:

Description: Actors Onoe Baikô IV, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, and Bandô Takesaburô I playing ken

Play: Yoshiwara-ken

Date: 2nd month of 1852

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Linhart: 55/10115

e

 

Title:

Description: Actors Onoe Baikô IV, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, and Bandô Takesaburô I playing ken

Play: Yoshiwara-ken

Date: 1852

Publisher: Tama-ya Sôsuke

Linhart: 56/10149

b

 

Title: Yoshiwara-ken

Description: Actors Onoe Baikô IV, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, and Bandô Takesaburô I playing ken

Play: Yoshiwara-ken

Date: 1852

Publisher: Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô

Linhart: 57/10150

f

 

Title:

Description: Actors Onoe Baikô IV, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, and Bandô Takesaburô I playing ken

Play: Yoshiwara-ken

Date: 1852

Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô

Linhart: 58/10151

 

Title:

Description: Actors Onoe Baikô IV, Ichikawa Kodanji IV, and Bandô Takesaburô I playing ken

Play: Yoshiwara-ken

Date: 1852

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Linhart: Not listed

 

Title: Untitled

Description: Actors Arashi Yoshisaburô III, Nakamura Fukusuke I, and Sawamura Gennosuke III playing ken 

Dance interlude: The Treasure Ship Entering the Beautiful Harbor (Irominato takara iribune)

Date: 2nd month of 1853

Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke

Linhart: 60/10153

Kuniyoshi%20-%20'San-goku%20Ken'%20(name%20of%20a%20hand%20play)%20

 

Title: None

Description: Actors Arashi Yoshisaburô III, Nakamura Fukusuke I, and Sawamura Gennosuke III playing ken 

Dance interlude: The Treasure Ship Entering the Beautiful Harbor (Irominato takara iribune)

Date: 2nd month of 1853

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Linhart: 61/10154

Kuniyoshi - Asakusa-ken motouta kaeuta, 005-0146

 

Title: Moto-uta kae-uta

Description: Actors Arashi Yoshisaburô III, Nakamura Fukusuke I, and Sawamura Gennosuke III playing ken 

Play: The Treasure Ship Entering the Beautiful Harbor (Irominato takara iribune)

Date: 2nd month of 1853

Publisher: Shinagawa-ya Kyûsuke

Linhart: 62/10025

005-0158

 

Title: Asakusa-ken (浅草拳)

Description: Actors Arashi Yoshisaburô III, Nakamura Fukusuke I, and Sawamura Gennosuke III playing ken 

Play: The Treasure Ship Entering the Beautiful Harbor (Irominato takara iribune)

Date: 2nd month of 1853

Publisher: Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô

Linhart: 63/10030

Kuniyoshi - 005-0137

 

Title: Parody of Six Immortal Poets (今様見立六歌せん 段がかへれば)

Play: Hatsuharu no on-kotobuki Soga (初春の御寿そが or 初春寿曽我)

Description: Ichikawa Komazô IV, Ichimura Uzaemon XII and Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII playing ken (or dancing)

Date: 1st month of 1848 (censors Hama and Kinugasa)

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

Linhart: Not listed

Kuniyoshi - (series y) 11

 

Title: Instruction in the Arts: Practicing Gestures (Shogei shian no uchi buri no keiko, 諸芸指安の内 ぶりのけいこ)

Dance interlude: Shinki ikken tori no hatsugoe (A Ken Game with New Rules to the First Cry of the Cock)

Description: Three actors with fans

Date: 1st month of 1849 (censors Hama and Magome)

Theater: Ichimura

Publisher: Kobayashi Taijirô

Linhart: Not listed

Shinki ikken tori no hatsugoe (A Ken Game with New Rules to the First Cry of the Cock), Bandô Shûka I as Oiso of Naka-no-cho (female), Nakamura Utaemon IV & Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Tobigashira Kakichi (no title)

 

Another state of the above design without a title cartouche in the right-upper corner.  The actors are Bandô Shûka I as Ohide of Kewaizaka (けわい坂お秀, female), Nakamura Utaemon IV as the fortuneteller (uranaisha) Sangokuken (浅草の郷者三国軒), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Tobigashira Kakichi (鳶頭嘉吉).  I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

 

Linhart” refers to listing in the article ‘Kuniyoshi’s Ken Caricatures between 1847 and 1853’, by Sepp Linhart in Andon, Vol. 83, 2008, pp. 5-29

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PART III

 

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