Toyohara Kunichika (豊原国周) (artist 1835 – 1900)
Composite grouping of actors in famous roles in Hana sugata nobori sugoroku (戯場姿昇進双六 - はなすがたのぼりすごろく)
11/1864
27.875 in x 23.625 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: ōju Ichiōsai Kunichika ga
應需一鶯斎国周画
Publisher: According to the Japan Arts Council
Utagawa Masanobu (歌川政信)
but unidentified in Marks as U483 - seal 03-005
Date seal: 11/1864
Japan Arts Council
Tokyo Metropolitan Library Pentaptych - three vertical oban prints on the top over two horizontal obans on the bottom. This is a highly unusual and rare composition.
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Here is a partial list of some of the actors portrayed here and their roles if known.
1. Onoe Kikujirō II (尾上菊次郎) as Satsuki (さつき) - the wife of Gorozo
2. Seki Sanjūrō III (関三十郎) as Hoshikage Doemon (ほし影土右衛門) - he lusts after Satsuki
3. Ichikawa Kuzō III (市川九蔵) as Kōmoriyasu (かうもり安)
4. Sawamura Tanosuke III (澤村田之助) as Wakakusa (わかくさ)
5. Kawarazuki Gonjūrō I (河原崎 権十郎) as Ukiyo Denbee? (うき世伝兵衛)
6. Ichikawa Kodanji IV (市川小團次) as Nippondaemon (日本駄右衛門)
7. Ichikawa Kobunji I (市川小文次) as Yojibei (与次兵衛)
8. Ichimura Kakitsu IV (市村家橘) as ?戸の十兵衛
9. Ichikawa Yonejūrō II (市川米十郎) as ? Tayū (?太夫)
10. Nakamura Nakatarō I (中村仲太郎) as 庄八
11. Bandō Mitsugorō VI (六代目坂東三津五郎) as Iwafuji (岩ふぢ)
12. Sawamura Tosshō II (澤村訥升) as Sono? (その??衛門)
13. Matsumoto Kinshō II (松本錦升) as Shirabe Nosuke? (しらべの助)
14. Ichikawa Yaozō VI (市川八百蔵) as すま平
15. Bandō Kichiya I (坂東吉弥) as Hisamatsu (久松)
16. Nakamura Momosa II (中村桃三) as Hanshichi (半七)
17. Ichikawa Kōsaku (市川幸作) as 坂間の手代
18. Bandō Komezō I (坂東亀蔵) as 馬方与平
19. Bandō Hikasaburō V (坂東彦三郎) as Nurekami Chōgorō (ぬれかみ長五郎) - the adopted son of Bandō Komezō I listed above
20. Nakamura Tsuruzō I (中村鶴蔵) as ?右衛門
21. Ichikawa Danzō VI (市川團蔵) as 卜者梅龍
22. Nakamura Shikan IV (中村芝翫) as Hanaregoma no Chōkichi (はなれ駒長吉)
23. Ichikawa Shinsha I (市川新車) as Fuji no Kata (藤の方)
24. Nakamura Fukusuke II (中村福助) as Sentarō (千太郎)
25. Iwai Shijaku II (岩井紫若) as Agemaki (あげまき) - Agemaki is the name of a courtesan named after the 47th chapter of The Tale of Genji. 'Agemaki' means 'the trefoil knot'.
26. Nakamura Kamenojō I (中村歌女之丞) as Oteu? (おてう )
27. Kawarasaki Kunitarō I (初代河原崎国太郎) as Sokujo Haruhime? (息女はる姫)
28. Onoe Eizaburō (尾上栄三郎)
29. Nakamura Kantarō (中村勘太郎) as 下男九助
(Kantarō is a bit of a conundrum. Kabuki21 lists the first Kantarō in the 17th century and then the second one in the 20th century. It lists no Kantarō from the time of this composition.) 30. Ichikawa Kohanji I (市川小半次) as がん平
31. Onoe Baikō (尾上梅幸) as Yogorō (与五郎)
32. Ichikawa Shinnosuke IV (市川新之助) as さぎ坂左門
33. Nakayama Genjjūrō II (中山現十郎) as 手代かん太郎
34. Bandō Matsujirō (坂東松次郎) as Umenosuke (梅之助)
35. Nakamura Komajūrō I (中村駒十郎) as Note no San (のての三)
36. Arashi Kangorō II (嵐冠五郎) as 山?五平太
37. Bandō Shinzaemon (坂東薪左衛門) as とら?太
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The figure in the blue robe in the upper left, with the bat tattoo on his face, is Kōmoriyasu or 'Yasu the Bat'. In the lower part of the top right panel is a woman who has a sandal in her upraised right hand. She is about to strike the woman cowering below her. These women represent Iwafuji with the sandal and Onoe.
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Marks does not list Kunichika as one of the artists published by this house. In fact, he says: "Presumably a collector's seal as it was later applied on prints from c. 1780s-1860s and is found together with other publisher seals as well as on prints that are usually without publisher seals (e.g. surimono)." We have no way of disputing this idea, but do wonder if it is correct.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Library lists this publisher as Manzen (i.e., Yorozuya Zentarō).
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Tattoo (genre)
Onoe Kikujirō II (二代目尾上菊次郎: 11/1835 to 12/1856 and 1858 to June 1875) (actor)
Seki Sanjūrō III (三代目関三十郎: 4/1840 to 12/1870) (actor)
Ichikawa Kuzō III (三代目市川九蔵: 8/1854-June 1897) (actor)
Sawamura Tanosuke III (三代目沢村田之助: 1/1859 to July, 1878) (actor)
Kawarasaki Gonjūrō I (初代河原崎権十郎: 9/1852 to 2/1869) (actor)
Ichikawa Kodanji IV (四代目市川小団次: spring 1844 to 5/1866) (actor)
Ichikawa Kobunji I (初代市川小文次: 2/1864 until an unknown date) (actor)
Ichimura Kakitsu IV (四代目市村家橘: 1863 to 7/1868) (actor)
Ichikawa Yonejūrō II (二代目市川米十郎: 3/1858 to 1866) (actor)
Nakamura Nakatarō I (初代中村仲太郎: til 2/20/1875) (actor)
Bandō Mitsugorō VI (六代目坂東三津五郎: 5/1856 to 9/11/1873) (actor)
Sawamura Tosshō II (二代目沢村訥升: 1/1854 to 4/1879) (actor)
Matsumoto Kinshō II (二代目松本錦升: 1865 to ca. 1873 at least) (actor)
Ichikawa Yaozō VI (六代目市川八百蔵: 1/1863 to 2/1873) (actor)
Nakamura Momosa II (二代目中村桃三: 1854 to 7/1864) (actor)
Ichikawa Kōsaku (市川幸作: 3/1850 to 9/1863) (actor)
Bandō Komezō I (初代坂東亀蔵: 3/1856 to 3/1871) (actor)
Bandō Hikasaburō V (五代目坂東彦三郎: from 3/1856 to October 1877) (actor)
Nakamura Tsuruzō I (初代中村鶴蔵: 11/1818 to 8/1865) (actor)
Ichikawa Danzō VI (六代目市川団蔵: from 10/1852 to 10/1871) (actor)
Nakamura Shikan IV (四代目中村芝翫: 7/1860 to January 1899) (actor)
Ichikawa Shinsha I (初代市川新車: from 1/1845 to 1/1870) (actor)
Nakamura Fukusuke II (二代目中村福助) (actor)
Iwai Shijaku II (二代目岩井紫若: 2/1864 to 1/1872) (actor)
Nakamura Kamenojō I (初代中村歌女之丞: first stage name until 1/1854 and again from 7/1854 to March 25, 1881) (actor)
Kawarasaki Kunitarō I (初代河原崎国太郎: 2/1859 to 2/1867) (actor)
Ichikawa Shinnosuke IV (四代目市川新之助: 7/1863 to 1/1870) (actor)
Nakayama Genjūrō II (二代目中山現十郎) (actor)
Bandō Shinzaemon (坂東薪左衛門: 1858-75) (actor)
Board game (Sugoroku 双六) (genre)
bats (komori - 蝙蝠) (genre)
Iwafuji, Onoe, Ohatsu (岩藤, 尾上, お初) (role)
The Love Suicide of Osome and Hisamatsu (染模様妹背門松) (kabuki)
Bandō Matsujirō (坂東松次郎) (actor)