About This Print
Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, in the lower left panel, playing the role of Hanakawa Toagemaki no Sukeroku 花川戸揚巻ノ助六 in the kabuki play Sukeroku 助六. He wears the purple headband associated with the character Sukeroku. Above Danjūrō is an unidentified actor playing the role of Ikyū 意休, an older samurai who seeks to steal Agemaki away from Sukeroku. The Ichikawa family crest (mon) of nested squares is shown to the left of Danjūrō, beneath which appears 九世市川団十郎 (9th Generation, Ichikawa Danjūrō) and the character played 花川戸揚巻ノ助六 (Hanakawa Toagemaki no Sukeroku.)The Play Sukeroku
Source: The Samurai Archives SamuraiWiki website http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=SukerokuThe story centers on Sukeroku, a samurai and otokodate, a prominent patron of the Yoshiwara, and especially of Agemaki, the top courtesan of the Miura-ya teahouse. Drawing upon elements of the classic Soga Monogatari, Sukeroku is later revealed to be Soga Gorô in disguise, working to seek out his father's killer and avenge his father's death.
The play is well-known for a number of iconic elements, including Sukeroku's purple headband, bullseye-pattern umbrella, and distinctive kumadori (face makeup) pattern. After the hero of Shibaraku, Sukeroku might be among the most recognizable characters in kabuki.
The Kabuki Eighteen
Source: Kabuki Encyclopedia, An English-Language Adaption of Kabuki Jiten, Samuel L. Leiter, Greenwood Press, 1979, p. 152."The Kabuki Eighteen," a collection of plays established by Ichikawa Danjūrō VII, stresses the special aragoto acting art of the Danjūrō line. In the Meiji period other acting families began to gather their most successful plays into similar collections. See the Title Page from the series The Kabuki Eighteen (Kabuki Juhachiban) for a list of the plays.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #471 |
| Title or Description | Ichikawa Danjūrō IX as Hanakawa Toagemaki no Sukeroku in the play Sukeroku 九卋市川団十郎 花川戸揚巻ノ助六 助六 |
| Series | The Kabuki Eighteen (Kabuki Jūhachiban) 歌舞伎十八番 |
| Artist | Torii Kiyosada (1844-1901) and Torii Kiyotada VII (1875-1941) |
| Signature |  left-most signature: Tadakiyo ga 忠清画 followed by Genji-crest seal |
| Seal | Geni-crest seal right - Choho seal left |
| Publication Date | February 28, 1896 (Meiji 29) 明治廿九年二月廿八 日 |
| Publisher | 長谷川寿美 Hasegawa Sumi [Marks: seal 25-406 長谷川寿美; publisher ref. 102] |
| Engraver | 彫工弥太 Horikō Yata |
| Printer | 摺工大亀 Surikō Ōkame (translation unconfirmed) |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | good - full size, backed with album paper; soiling along bottom margin |
| Genre | ukiyo-e; yakusha-e |
| Miscellaneous | embossing throughout |
| Format | vertical oban |
| H x W Paper | 14 1/2 x 10 in. (36.8 x 25.4 cm) |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston RES.53.19; Tokyo Metropolitan Library 5721-C008-08; Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University 201-0130 and 201-0151 and 201-0179; Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon MWJ51:T106; Brooklyn Museum 1993.106.6 |
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