About This Print
One of 30 prints (including 2 cover prints and 2 frontispieces) designed by Natori Shunsen that appeared in the magazine Shin Nigao, whose purpose was to advertise the Kabuki theater and renew interest in actor prints. Included in issue 5 of the magazine published in November 1915, this print depicts the actor Ichikawa Uzaemon XV portraying the character Shirai Gonpachi. The performance is identified in the table of contents for issue 5 as "Hiyokuzuka" (the double grave of lovers who died together) playing at the Kabuki-za.
The basic story line involves Gonpachi falling in love with the courtesan Komurasaki and their eventual double suicide.
The basic story line involves Gonpachi falling in love with the courtesan Komurasaki and their eventual double suicide.
An image of this collection's print was provided to the National Gallery of Australia and appears in the catalog to their 2012-2013 exhibition Stars of the Tokyo Stage.1
For more information on this short-lived magazine whose purpose was to advertise the Kabuki theater and renew interest in actor prints, see the article Shin Nigao Magazine.
The Actor in the Print - Ichikawa Uzaemon XV (1874-1945)
Source: Kabuki 21 website http://www.kabuki21.com/uzaemon15.php and as footnotedStage names: Ichimura Uzaemon XV, Ichimura Kakitsu VI, Bandô Takematsu
Other name: Bandô Kakitsu II
Real name: Ichimura Rokutarô
 1921 | Ichimura Uzaemon XV 十五代目市村羽左衛門 Born in Hongō in the district of Tenjin-chō. his father may have been a blue-blooded Frenchman.2 He is adopted by Ichimura Uzaemon XIV, who gives him the name of Ichimura Rokutarō. In October 1903 he takes the name of Ichimura Uzaemon XV. Ichimura Uzaemon XV was one of the best tachiyaku of the first half of the twentieth century. He had a great physical appearance, a strong presence on stage and an amazing voice. He was the nimaime or the sabakiyaku par excellence. He kept on playing young lover roles even in his latter years and never performed any old man roles. His duo with Onoe Baikō VI was one of the most famous goruden kombi in Kabuki history. When his best stage partner died in 1934, he successfully performed in duo with Kataoka Nizaemon XII. The actor Onoe Kikugorō VI (1885-194) called him “a 150-watt light bulb” who would "... simply come on stage and the whole theatre would light up.”3 |
For additional information on the kabuki actor see the article The Kabuki Actor on this website.
1 Stars of the Tokyo Stage, Lucie Folan, et. al., National Gallery of Australia, 2012, p. 10.
2 His father's French ethnicity is disputed and the actor remained silent on his parentage.
3 The Man Who Saved Kabuki: Faubion Bowers and Theatre Censorship in Occupied Japan, Shiro Okamoto, University of Hawaii Press, 2001, p. 29.
Natori Shunsen Catalogue Raisonné Entry
Catalogue Raisonné – Ukiyoe Kabuki Gi Han Ga: Shunsen Natori
(The Skill of Natori Shunsen in Kabuki Prints),
(The Skill of Natori Shunsen in Kabuki Prints),
Kushigata Municipal Shunsen Museum
Kushigata, Japan; 1991, p.95, pl. 181.
Kushigata, Japan; 1991, p.95, pl. 181.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #490 | ||
| Title (Description) | [Ichikawa] Uzaemon [XV] in the role of Shirai Gonpachi [in the play Komurasaki hiykuzuka no hanashi] 羽左衛門の白井権八 Uzaemon no Shirai Gonpachi | ||
| Series | Magazine: Shin Nigao (New Portraits) volume five 新似顔 第一年五編 | ||
| Artist | Natori Shunsen (1886-1960) | ||
| Signature |  名取春仙 畫 Natori Shunsen ga printed on bottom of magazine page print was originally tipped to. | ||
| Seal | artist's flower pattern seal (as shown above) | ||
| Date | November 1915 | ||
| Edition | First and only edition printed in magazine Shin Nigao | ||
| Publisher | Nigaodō 似顔洞 | ||
| Carver and Printer | Igami Bonkotsu (1875-1933) | ||
| Impression | excellent | ||
| Colors | excellent | ||
| Condition | excellent | ||
| Miscellaneous | entry in table of contents for Issue #5 of Shin Nigao
| ||
| Genre | shin hanga (new prints); nigao-e | ||
| Format | koban | ||
| H x W Paper | 7 1/4 x 4 3/4 in. (18.4 x 12.1 cm) | ||
| Collections This Print | National Gallery of Austalia NGA 2015.571; The British Museum 1991,1112,0.193.5 (entire magazine, only front cover shown); Art Research Center Ritsumeikan University BM-SJ193-05 (British Museum's copy of entire magazine with all pages shown) | ||
| Reference Literature | Catalogue Raisonné – Ukiyoe Kabuki Gi Han Ga: Shunsen Natori (TheSkill of Natori Shunsen in Kabuki Prints), Kushigata Municipal ShunsenMuseum, Kushigata, Japan, 1991, p.95 number 181; Stars of the Tokyo Stage, Lucie Folan, et. al., National Gallery of Australia, 2012, p. 10. |
7/29/2020
10/16/2019
11/18/2018
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