Chûshingura (忠臣蔵)

1849

This series of prints illustrates pairs of characters in a performance of the kabuki play Kanadehon Chûshingura at the Nakamura-za Theater in the 7^th month of 1849. The actors were:

Actor	Role
Iwai Kumesaburô III	Lady Kaoyo
Iwai Kumesaburô III	Ôboshi Rikiya
Sawamura Chôjûrô V	Ôbosh Yuranosuke
Sawamura Chôjûrô V	Momonoi Wakanosuke
Sawamura Chôjûrô V	Hayano Kanpei
Onoe Baikô IV	Okaru
Bandô Mitsugorô IV	Takano Moronaô
Onoe Shinshichi III	Enya Hangan
Ichikawa Kuzô II	Kakogawa Honzo
Ichikawa Kuzô II	Ono Sadakurô
Nakamura Tsuruzô	Sagisaka Bannai
Arashi Kangorô I	Owashi Bungo

The series is not listed in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this series.

	Act: 1 (prologue, 序幕) Description: Governor Ko Moronao (高師直, in black) and Enya Hangan (桃之井若狭之助, in yellow) Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi
	Act: 2 Description: Rikiya and Konami (daughter of Honzô, fiancée of Rikiya) Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shôshichi
	Act: 3 Description: Kakogawa Honzô (right, 加古川 本蔵) and Enya Takasada (left, 塩冶 判官) Publisher: No seal
	Act: 4 Description: Ôboshi Yuranosuke and his son Rikiya Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi
	Act: 5 Description: Ono no Sadakurô robbing Yoichibei Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi
	Another state of the above print
	Yet another state without a publisher’s seal
	Act: 7 Description: Yuranosuke and O-Karu Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi
	Act: 9 Description: Konami and her mother Tonase Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi

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