About This Print
The Play - Shunkan
Sources: The Beauty of Silence: Nō and Nature Prints by Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869-1927), Robert Schaap & J. Thomas Rimer, Hotei Publishing, 2010, p. 114.
Before the story of the play unfolds, three men - the priest Shunkan (shite) and the officials Fujiwara no Naritsune (tsure), and Taira no Yasuyori (tsure) - have been exiled to the remote island of Kigaigashima beyond the southern tip of Kyushu. The men were sent away because of their plot to overthrow Taira no Kiyomori. At the beginning of the play, Naritsune and Yasuyori have returned from a mock pilgrimage around the island. Shunkan has remained behind in their miserable dwelling. Then, Kiyomori's emissary (waki) arrives by boat, bringing a pardon for two of the three men. Shunkan's joy soon turns to despair when he learns that he is the only one who will not be permitted to return to the capital. His two companions set off with heavy hearts, leaving him alone to watch their departure.
source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/npj/npj42.htm ENVOYS, NARITSUNE and YASUYORI (together).
Unhappy man, our hearts are not cold. When we reach the City, we will plead unceasingly for your recall. In a little while you shall return. Wait with a good heart.
(Their voices grow fainter and fainter, as though the ship were moving away from the shore.)
SHUNKAN.
"Wait, wait," they cried, "Hope, wait!"
But distance dimmed their cry,
And hope with their faint voices faded.
He checked his sobs, stood still and listened, listened--(SHUNKAN puts his hand to his ear and bends forward in the attitude of one straining to catch a distant sound.)
THE THREE.
Shunkan, Shunkan, do you hear us?
SHUNKAN.
You will plead for me?
THE THREE.
Yes, yes. And then surely you will be summoned. . . .
SHUNKAN.
Back to the City? Can you mean it?
THE THREE.
Why, surely!
SHUNKAN.
I hope; yet while I hope.
CHORUS.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Dimmer grow the voices; dimmer the ship, the wide waves
Pile up behind it.
The voices stop. The ship, the men
Have vanished. All is gone
The Series - Fifty Noh Figures in ColorEach print in the series depicts a main character from a Noh play and is tipped to the top edge of a solid-colored woodblock-printed backing sheet featuring the three small pines appearing along the higashigakari 橋掛 (bridgeway) stretching from the main stage to the kagami-no-ma (mirror room) where the performers gather before going on stage. The trees are printed with a dark gold metallic pigment, a deluxe printing technique.
一
翁
No. 1
Okina
二
高砂
No. 2
Takasago 三
田村
No. 3
Tamura 四
羽衣
No. 4
Hagoromo 五
鞍馬天狗
No. 5
Kurama tengu 六
竹生島
No. 6
Chikubushima 七
景淸
No. 7
Kagekiyo 八
態野
No. 8
Yuya 九通小町No. 9Kayo Komachi 十鵜飼No. 10Ukai 十一
玉井
No. 11
Tamanoi 十二
俊寬
No. 12
Shunkan 十三卒都婆小No. 13SotobaKomachi 十四
鐵輪
No. 14
Kanawa 十五
船辨慶
No. 15
Funda Benkei 十六
養老
No. 16
Yōrō 十七
賴政
No. 17
Yorimasa 十八
遊行柳
No. 18
Yugyō yanagi 十九
石橋
No. 19
Shakkyō 二〇
石橋
No. 20
Shakkyō 二一
張良
No. 21
Chōryō
二二
蟬丸
No. 22
Semimaru
二三
姨捨
No. 23
Obasute
二四
安達原
No. 24
Adachi ga
hara 二五
調伏會我
No. 25
Chōbuku Soga 二六
延命冠者
No. 26
Enmei kanja 二七
箙
No. 27
Ebira 二八
胡蝶
No. 28
Kochō 二九
求塚
No. 29
Motomezuka 三〇
雷電
No. 30
Raiden 三一
難波
No. 31
Naniwa
三二
花月
No. 32
Kagetsu 三三
葵上
No. 33
Aoi no ue
三四
弱法帥
No. 34
Yoroboshi
三五
殺生石
No. 35
Sesshōseki 三六
鍾馗
No. 36
Shōki 三七
經政
No. 37
Tsunemasa 三八
道成寺
No. 38
Dōjōji 三九
藤戶
No. 39
Fujito 四〇
鵺
No. 40
Nue 四一
項羽
No. 41
Kōu
四二
融
No. 42
Tōru
四三
玉葛
No. 43
Tamakazura 四四
山姥
No. 44
Yamanba
四五
土蜘蛛
No. 45
Tsuchigomo
四六
金札
No. 46
Kinsatsu 四七
熊坂
No. 47 Kumasaka 四八
三井寺
No. 48
Miidera 四九
一角仙人
No. 49
Ikkaku Sennin 五〇
猩々
No. 50
Shōjō
| 一 翁 No. 1 Okina | 二 高砂 No. 2 Takasago | 三 田村 No. 3 Tamura | 四 羽衣 No. 4 Hagoromo | 五 鞍馬天狗 No. 5 Kurama tengu | 六 竹生島 No. 6 Chikubushima | 七 景淸 No. 7 Kagekiyo | 八 態野 No. 8 Yuya | 九 通小町 No. 9 Kayo Komachi | 十 鵜飼 No. 10 Ukai |
| 十一 玉井 No. 11 Tamanoi | 十二 俊寬 No. 12 Shunkan | 十三 卒都婆小 No. 13 Sotoba Komachi | 十四 鐵輪 No. 14 Kanawa | 十五 船辨慶 No. 15 Funda Benkei | 十六 養老 No. 16 Yōrō | 十七 賴政 No. 17 Yorimasa | 十八 遊行柳 No. 18 Yugyō yanagi | 十九 石橋 No. 19 Shakkyō | 二〇 石橋 No. 20 Shakkyō |
| 二一 張良 No. 21 Chōryō | 二二 蟬丸 No. 22 Semimaru | 二三 姨捨 No. 23 Obasute | 二四 安達原 No. 24 Adachi ga hara | 二五 調伏會我 No. 25 Chōbuku Soga | 二六 延命冠者 No. 26 Enmei kanja | 二七 箙 No. 27 Ebira | 二八 胡蝶 No. 28 Kochō | 二九 求塚 No. 29 Motomezuka | 三〇 雷電 No. 30 Raiden |
| 三一 難波 No. 31 Naniwa | 三二 花月 No. 32 Kagetsu | 三三 葵上 No. 33 Aoi no ue | 三四 弱法帥 No. 34 Yoroboshi | 三五 殺生石 No. 35 Sesshōseki | 三六 鍾馗 No. 36 Shōki | 三七 經政 No. 37 Tsunemasa | 三八 道成寺 No. 38 Dōjōji | 三九 藤戶 No. 39 Fujito | 四〇 鵺 No. 40 Nue |
| 四一 項羽 No. 41 Kōu | 四二 融 No. 42 Tōru | 四三 玉葛 No. 43 Tamakazura | 四四 山姥 No. 44 Yamanba | 四五 土蜘蛛 No. 45 Tsuchigomo | 四六 金札 No. 46 Kinsatsu | 四七 熊坂 No. 47 Kumasaka | 四八 三井寺 No. 48 Miidera | 四九 一角仙人 No. 49 Ikkaku Sennin | 五〇 猩々 No. 50 Shōjō |
Print Details
IHL Catalog #2180 Title Shunkan 俊寛 Series Fifty Noh Figures in Color
能姿五十彩 Artist
Matsuno Sōfū (1899-1963)
Signature
not sighed Seal 
奏風 Sōfū Date June 1938
Edition first and only
Publisher 謡曲界発行所 Yōkyoku-kai hakkōsho [Noh song publishing house] Carver unknown Printer unknown Impression excellent
Colors excellent Condition excellent - several light spots of foxing
Genre nishiki-e; nōgaku zue 能樂圖繪 [Noh play picture] or 能絵 [Noh-e] Miscellaneous
Format oban H x W Paper print: 8 x 5 3/4 in. (20.3 x 14.6 cm)
backing sheet: 12 1/16 x 9 5/16 in. (28.1 x 23.7) H x W Image print: 7 13/16 x 5 9/16 in. (19.8 x 14.1 cm) Collections This Print Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University AcNo. arcUP2608 Reference Literature
last update:11/13/2019 created
能姿五十彩
奏風 Sōfūbacking sheet: 12 1/16 x 9 5/16 in. (28.1 x 23.7)
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