Selected “Brother-pictures” of 30 Chosen Trees and Flowers

(E-kyôdai mitate san-jû bok’kwa-sen, 繪鏡臺見立三十木花撰)

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

c. 1845

In this series, bust portraits of kabuki actors are paired with trees and flowers. In most cases, the name of the plant is similar to the name of another character in the play. The play titles are tentative. The prints may actually represent a similar play with the same characters, which was a common practice at the time. The series is listed as number 155 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for his contributions to this section.

	Actor: Role: Shino Inuzuka (信乃 犬たで) Plant: Red knotweed (inutade, 犬蓼) Character suggested by plant: Play: Hakkenden Uwasa no Takadono
	Actor: Probably Bandô Shûka I Role: Oshiyun Shirafuji (おしゆん しらふぢ) Plant: Wisteria (fuji, 藤) Character suggested by plant: Shirafuji Genta Play: Hanashobu Ukina no kaobure
	Actor: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII Role: Ishikawa Goemon (石川五右衛門) Plant: Flowering gourd vine Character suggested by plant: Play: Sanmon Gosan no Kiri
	Actor: Role: Seigen-ni Matsuwaka (清玄尼 松若) Plant: Young pine (matsuwaka, 松若) Character suggested by plant: Matsuwakamaru (松若丸) Play: Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome
	Actor: Ichikawa Kodanji IV Role: Kiyomori Tokiwa no matsu (清盛 ときはの松) Plant: Evergreen pine (tokiwa no matsu, ときはの松) Character suggested by plant: Tokiwa Gozen (常盤御前) Play: Tokiwa Gozen is a character in many plays
	Actor: Iwai Kumesaburô III Role: Shirai Gonpachi Komurasaki (白井権八 小むらさき) Plant: Iris (komurasaki, 小むらさき) Character suggested by plant: Miuraya Komurasaki (みうらや小紫) Play: Sono Kouta Yume mo Yoshiwara Text: 隠れ家も目にたつ水や杜若　六九舎双峰
	Actor: Role: Yae Sakuramaru (八重 さくら丸) Plant: Peonies Character suggested by plant: Yae’s husband Sakuramaru (桜丸) Play: Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami
	Actor: Sawamura Tosshô I (Sawamura Sôjûrô V) Role: Chûbei Umegawa (忠兵衛 梅川) Plant: Prunus (ume, 梅) Character suggested by plant: Umegawa or Umekawa (梅川) Play: Meido no Hikyaku
	Actor: Role: Oni yuri (おにゆり) Plant: Tiger lilies (oni yuri, 鬼百合) Character suggested by plant: Play: Image courtesy of Marie de Strycker
	Actor: Role: Yorikane (Ashikaga) Takao no momiji (よりかね 高雄のもみぢ) Plant: Japanese Maple (momiji, 紅葉) Character suggested by plant: The courtesan Takao (高雄) Play: Probably Date kurabe Okuni kabuki
	Actor: Role: Akitsushima (Kuniemon) Oni Azami (秋津嶋 鬼あさみ) Plant: Demon Thistle (Oni azami, 鬼薊) Character suggested by plant: The wrestler Onigadake (Horaemon) (鬼ヶ嶽) Play: Probably Sekitori Nidai no shobu zuke Text: 刺ともにまけて活けり鬼薊 六九舎双峰
	Actor: Role: Genshichi Yaegiri (源七 八重ぎり) Plant: Paulownia (kiri, 桐) Character suggested by plant: Yaegiri (八重桐) Play: Yaegiri Kuruwa Banashi
	Actor: Role: Abe no Yasuna Kuzunoha (安部の保名 くずの葉) Plant: Japanese arrowroot leaf (kuzunoha, くずの葉) Character suggested by plant: Kuzunoha, The Fox Wife (Kitsune) Play: Ashiya dôman ôuchi kagami or its excerpt, Kuzu-no-ha
	Actor: Role: Miyamoto Musashi Itohagi (宮本無三四 糸はき) Plant: Trailing lespedeza (itohagi, 糸萩) Character suggested by plant: Itohagi, daughter of Shirakura Dengoemon Play: Katakiuchi Ganryûjima Text: 糸萩の素直や風の柳より　六九舎双峰
	Actor: Role: Watônai …Sakura (和藤内 …さくら) Plant: Cherry (sakura) Character suggested by plant: Watonai Sankan (和藤内 三宦) Play: Kokusen’ya Gassen I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.
	Actor: Role: The courtesan Miyagino Shinobu (宮城野 志のふ) Plant: Hare’s foot fern (shinobu, 荵) Character suggested by plant: Play: Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi or its excerpt Ageya

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