Utagawa Toyokuni I (初代歌川豊国) (artist 1769 – 02/24/1825)
Nakamura Utaemon III (中村歌右衛門) as the yakko Ippei (奴逸平)
09/24/1808
10 in x 14.7 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Toyokuni ga
Publisher: Kawachiya Genshichi
(Marks 227 - seal 25-103)
Waseda University - the 1808 edition
Waseda University - the 1810 edition with a black wall The curatorial notes to a Sharaku print of yakko Ippei say: "In this portrait Ichikawa Omezō I (1781–1833), a disciple of Danjūro V, plays a warrior named Yakko Ippei who was unsuccessful in his attempt to defeat his enemy. On his robe the character for "O" in Omezō appears at the center of the Ichikawa family crest of three nested squares."
While the curatorial notes, dealing with another copy of this print by Sharaku, provide further information: "Ippei is a loyal servant of Date no Yosaku, here shown confronting the evil servant Edobei. Edobei steals money entrusted to Ippei, so leading to the disinheritance of Yosaku."
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This appears to be a single sheet print. An alternate play title is given as Koinyōbō somewake tazuna. Another version was printed two years later with a black background and the actor and role names moved to the right edge.
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The presence of a demon mask
Demon masks appear in a number of prints in the Lyon Collection. Two of them show a figure dangling a demon mask by its cord from their teeth. One of these is by Toyokuni I, the one seen here, and the other is in a triptych by Kuniyoshi. Without knowing the exact nature of these scenes, we are at a loss to explain the reasons for their being there. (See the attached jpeg of details from these prints.)
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It appears that the character 奴 can be read as yakko or yasu.
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Kawachiya Genshichi (河内屋源七) (publisher)
Nakamura Utaemon III (三代目中村歌右衛門) (actor)