Sukedakaya Takasuke IV, Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and Nakamura Shikan (in the play Kongen Kusazuribiki at the Shintomiza)

Japanese Color Woodblock Print 

Sukedakaya Takasuke IV, Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and Nakamura Shikan (in the play Kongen Kusazuribiki at the Shintomiza)

by Toyohara Kunichika, 1884

Ichikawa Sadanji, Ichikawa Kuzō, Ichikawa Danjūrō, Suketakaya Takasuke and Onoe Kikugorō in Aoto Zōshi Hana no Nishikie

IHL Cat. #1655

About This Print

Picturing from right to left the actors Sukedakaya Takasuke IV as the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shōshō, Ichikawa Danjūrō IX as Soga Gorō and Nakamura Shikan IV as Asahina Saburō in the dance drama Kongen kusazuribiki (The Armor Pulling) based on the legend of the Soga brothers' vendetta.

Soga no Gorō, to save his brother Jurō fromdanger, grapples with Kobayashi no Asahina over the treasured suit of armor stolen by Asahina. The courtesan Kewaizaka no Shōshō will attempt to calm the hot-tempered Gorō.

Asahina's costume bears the crest of a crane in a circle while Gorō's bears the Soga butterfly crest.


The Actors Pictured

For background on the actors pictured see their respective entries in the article The Kabuki Actor on this site.


Print Details

 IHL Catalog #1655
 Title (Description) Sukedakaya Takasuke IV, Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and Nakamura Shikan (in the play Kongen Kusazuribiki at the Shintomiza)
 助高屋高 助市川団十郎  中村芝翫 (根元草摺引 新富座)
 Artist Toyohara Kunichika (1835–1900)
 Signature
Toyohara Kunichika hitsu 豊原国周筆
 Seal Toshidama seal (see above) 年玉印
 Publication Date
January 1884 御届明治十七年一月　日
 Publisher

Yamamura Kōjirō Marks 597; seal similar to Marks 26-056.

top: 板元 (publisher)
right column: 浅草入八丁十二バソチ(publisher's address)
left column: 山村鑛次郎 (Yamamura Kōjirō)
 Carver
Horikō Gin 彫工銀
 Impression excellent
 Colors excellent
 Condition good - worm damage to paper; color offsetting in left margins of each sheet; three separate sheets; unbacked
 Genre ukiyo-e; yakusha-e
 Miscellaneous
top: 画工 (picture made by) 
left column: 荒川八十八 (Arakawa Yasohachi, the artist's given name)
right column: artist's address
 Format vertical oban triptych
 H x W Paper 
 Left sheet: 13 3/4 x 9 5/8 in. (34.9 x 24.4 cm)
 Center sheet: 13 5/8 x 9 3/4 in. (34.6 x 24.8 cm)
 Right sheet: 13 3/4 x 9 5/8 in. (34.9 x 24.4 cm)
 H x W Image Left sheet: 13 3/4 x 9 5/16 in. (34.9 x 23.7 cm)
 Center sheet: 13 5/8 x 9 5/16 in. (34.6 x 23.7 cm)
 Right sheet: 13 3/4 x 9 3/16 in. (34.9 x 23.3 cm)
 Literature 
 The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University 100-2138. 2139, 2140
 Collections This Print

last updated:
3/24/2019