About This Print
This print shows the actors (from right to left) Bandō Hikosaburō V (坂東彦三郎) as Ukiyo Tohai (浮世戸平), Ichikawa Danzō VI (市川団蔵) as Rokuji Namuemon (六字南無右衛門) and Ichimura Kakitsu IV (市村家橘) as Nozarashi Gosukei (野ざらし吾助) in a performance from the New Year drama Tsuru no chitose Soga no kadomatsu staged at the Ichimura-za on January 29, 1865 (1st lunar month of 1865.)It is likely that a number of plays and dances comprised the entire performance of Tsuru no chitose Soga no kadomatsu and the Ritsumeikan Art Research Center identifies this scene as the "second prologue" (二番目序幕) of the performance. For another print depicting part of the January 29, 1865 peformance of Tsuru no chitose Soga no kadomatsu see this collection's print Tsuru no chitose Soga no kadomatsu by Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904).
The characters in this play can also be found in a number of other plays. In the left panel, Danzō's robe with skulls on the sleeves identifies him as the otokodate Nozarashi Gosukei.
1 The MFA, Boston reverses the actors in the left and center panels, due to the incorrect assumption that the order of the actors names in the upper right hand corner corresponds to their right to left appearance in the triptych, rather than to their speaking order.
Another Version of this Print
The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University has another state of this print in its collection. It uses the same blocks for the figures but removes the background dialogue that appears in this collection's print. The scripted writing in the below print provides the identify of the actors and their roles.
Title: right panel 「うきよとへい ばんたう彦三郎」; center panel 「六じ南無右衛門 市かはたん蔵」;
left panel 「野さらし吾すけ 市むらかきつ」
Artist: 国貞〈2〉
Play's title: 鶴千歳曽我門松 つるのちとせそがのかどまつ
The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University 101-0418, 0419, 0420
left panel 「野さらし吾すけ 市むらかきつ」
Artist: 国貞〈2〉
Play's title: 鶴千歳曽我門松 つるのちとせそがのかどまつ
The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University 101-0418, 0419, 0420
The Actors in the Print
For background on the actors Bandō Hikosaburō V, Ichimura Kakitsu IV and Ichikawa Danzō VI see their respective entries in the article The Kabuki Actor on this site.Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #954 |
| Title | The actors Bandō Hikosaburō Vas Ukiyo Tohai, Ichimura Kakitsu IV asNozarashi Gosuke and Ichikawa Danzō VI as Rokuji Namuemon [starring in aperformance from the New Year drama Tsuru no chitose Soga no kadomatsu] [浮世戸平 坂東彦三郎」「野ざらし吾助 市村家橘」「六字南無右衛門 市川団蔵」 鶴千歳曽我門松 |
| Series | n/a |
| Artist | Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880) |
| Signature |  |
| Seal | Toshidama in red ink under the signature |
| Publication Date |  丑二改 signof the ox 2 aratame January 29, 1865 |
| Publisher |  |
| Carver | |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | good - three separate panels; lightly backed; minor soiling |
| Genre | ukiyo-e; yakusha-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | vertical oban triptych |
| H x W Paper | right sheet: 14 1/8 x 9 1/2 (35.9 x 24.1 cm); center sheet 14 1/8 x 9 1/2 (35.9 x 24.1 cm); left sheet 14 1/8 x 9 1/4 (35.9 x 23.5 cm) |
| Collections This Print | The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University 201-5843, 201-5844, 201-5845; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 11.38729a-c; Art Research Center Ritsumeikan University arcUP0148, UP0149, UP0150; Tokyo Metropolitan Library M246-1-2(1,2,3); Biblioteca Digital Hispanica Biblioteca Nacional De Espana binp0000280567 |
| Reference Literature | |
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