Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865).

Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. C. 1845 – 1847).

Date seal: [子五] Kaei 5, 5th month (5/1852).

Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche.

Title: Actor Bandō Takesaburō I as clerk Seijūrō [手代清十郎] (left) and Actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Kenkaya Gorōkichi [喧嘩屋五郎吉] (right) in the play Musume ōgi tsui no tatehiki [娘扇一対侠贔屓 (むすめおうぎついのたてひき)] performed at the Nakamura theatre [中村座], in Edo (Tokyo).

The playbill for this performance can be found at MFA (Boston) # 11.28042, 11.28285, 11.28286:

Actors:

Bandō Takesaburō I (初代坂東竹三郎) (Japanese, 1832 – 1877); other names: Shinshi, Shinsui V, Bandō Hikosaburō V [五代目坂東彦三郎], Bandō Tsurunosuke I.

Ichikawa Kodanji IV [市川小團次] (Japanese, 1812 – 1866); other names: Ichikawa Yonejūrō I, Ichikawa Yonezō III, Ichikawa Eizō.

Similar images were then used for the series Seven flourishing plants on lanterns for summer evenings [涼調珍盛の七草] (Suzumi chōchin sakari no nanakusa) published by Ibaya Senzaburō in 1852 (Kaei 5), 6th month.

Bandō Takesaburō I (carved by Yokokawa Takejirō): https://collections.mfa.org/objects/219360

Actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV (carved by Nakamura Tōkichi): https://collections.mfa.org/objects/477146.