The Five Festivals
(Go sekku no
uchi, 五節句のうち)
Publisher: Minato-ya
Kohei
1849
In
this print series, the five festivals are likened to scenes from the kabuki play Onna gori goshiki no hana kago (余波五色花魁香), which was performed in the Ichimura Theater in the
9th month of 1849. The five
festivals are Jinjitsu (January 7) Feast of the Seven Herbs or Mankind’s Day; Johshi (March 3) Doll Festival or Girls’ Day; Tango (May 5) Boys’ Day; Tanabata (July
7) Star Festival or Seventh Night; and
Choyo (September 9) the Chrysanthemum
Festival. The actors are in roles from
the play Onnagori goshiki no Hanakago
(余波五色花魁香), which was performed at the Ichimura theater in the
eighth month of 1849. This series is
listed as number 125 in Kuniyoshi by
Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961), and 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 information about this series.
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Festival: Tango (May 5) Boys’
Day Actors:
Bandô Shûka I as Jingû Kôgô (神功皇后, standing) and Nakamura
Kanemon IV as Takeshiuchi Sukunene (武内宿祢) |
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Another state of the above
print |
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Festival: Tanabata (July 7) Star Festival or Seventh Night Actors:
Bandô Shûka I in female role as the waitress Okaji (仲居おかぢ), actor Nakamura Utaemon IV as Hoshu daijin (宝珠大尽, standing left), and an unidentified actor
(standing right) |
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Another state of the above
print |
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Festival: Actors:
Nakamura Utaemon IV as a female demon (鬼女,
standing) and Seki Sanjuro III as Taira no Koremochi (平惟茂) |
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Festival: Jinjitsu (January 7) Feast of the Seven Herbs or Mankind’s Day Actors: |
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Festival: Choyo (September 9),
Chrysanthemum Festival Actors: Fujikawa Kaju III as the geisha Osen (芸者おせん), Nakamura Utaemon IV as Kyokuba Nori (曲馬乗り), and Seki Sanjûrô III as 題目七次 |
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