Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865) Signed: Kunisada egaku (國貞ゑかく) Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869), san (三) in a circle plus red seal below the date-aratame seal Date-Aratame Seal: 1831 – Year of the Hare (卯), Tenpo 2 plus aratame (改) Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 229 x 266 mm Play: Masago shiranami (真砂白浪), performed at the Nakamura-za, Edo, in 3/1831 Actor: Iwai Kumesaburō II (岩井粂三郎) (1799 – 1836), also known as Iwai Hanshirō VI [岩井半四郎] (Japanese, 1799 – 1836), Iwai Hisajirō I, Baiga (poetry name), Shūka (poetry name). Role: Oritsu (おりつ) A half-length, three-quarter view, head turned slightly to the left portrait of kabuki actor Iwai Kumesaburō II in the female role of Oritsu in the play titled Masago shiranami. The play belongs to the shiranami mono genre, typically centred on thieves and dramatic entanglements.
Oritsu is wearing a blue outer robe with yellow floral motifs over a red underrobe, a purple collar adorned with an asanoha (麻の葉) pattern, and a white scarf on the shoulders. A padded towel is wrapped around the head. She is looking with astonishment inside an object she holds in her left hand, probably a straw hat.

Artist: Unknown No censor seal, no date seal. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869); seal: san (三) in a circle Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 228 x 265 mm. The fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵) depicts the Eitai Bridge (永代橋, Eitai-bashi), one of Edo’s famous landmarks, spanning the Sumida River (隅田川, Sumida-gawa). The wooden arched structure is crowded with pedestrians. Below, the river is bustling with boats, including pleasure barges (yakata-bune, 屋形船) and transport vessels. In the background, Mount Fuji (富士山, Fujisan) rises above the horizon, while the soft gradient of the sky suggests early morning or evening light.

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865) Signed: Toyokuni ga (豊國画) in a yellow toshidama cartouche Censor seal: Fuku (福) & Muramatsu (村松) Date seal: 1853 — Kaei 6 (丑, Year of the Ox), 2nd month Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869), san (三)  in a circle Block carver: Yokokawa Takejirō [横川竹二郎] (Japanese, fl. 1845 – 1863); Seal: hori Take (彫竹) Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 214 x 295 mm A half-length portrait of a woman in a three-quarter view facing left. She holds an almost full sake cup—with three blue toshidamas—in her left hand and a shamisen plectrum (bachi, 撥) in her right. Resting on her lap, partially visible in the lower part of the print, is a shamisen (三味線). Her black hair is styled in an elaborate updo, adorned with gilt hairpins (簪, kanzashi), a comb, and a blue ribbon. She wears a blue outer kimono featuring a chrysanthemum diaper pattern (青海波, seigaiha) with black shippō (七宝) roundels, a red under-kimono, and a blue latticed collar. The obi (帯) is purple, decorated with green-and-blue dragons and waves over a sayagata (紗綾形) lattice pattern. The background features a hemp-leaf geometric pattern (麻の葉, asanoha) transitioning from black to crimson in a gradient, with a mist-like effect at face level. A round red cartouche in the upper right contains the title "The six days [of the week], the 5th day" (Roku hisei — butsumetsu, 六陽盛 物(ぶつ)愛(めつ)). The artist’s signature (豊國画, Toyokuni ga) appears in a yellow toshidama cartouche in the lower left, accompanied by the publisher’s and censor seals, as well as the block carver’s seal (彫竹, hori Take). There has been extensive discussion regarding the meaning of the title in the red round cartouche, which reads 六曜盛物愛. Breaking Down the Inscription: The first two characters, 六曜 (Rokuyō), refer to the six-day Buddhist calendar cycle, which determines lucky and unlucky days. This system became widely used in the late Edo and Meiji periods. The six days are:

• 先勝 (Senshō) – Lucky in the morning
• 友引 (Tomobiki) – "Pulling a friend" (good for social matters)
• 先負 (Sakimake) – Lucky in the afternoon
• 仏滅 (Butsumetsu) – The most unlucky day
• 大安 (Taian) – The most lucky day
• 赤口 (Shakkō) – Bad luck

Upon reviewing the available information and expert analyses, it appears that the inscription 六曜盛物愛 contains an unconventional representation of 仏滅 (Butsumetsu), traditionally written as 仏滅. Deciphering the Inscription: 六曜 (Rokuyō): Refers to the six-day Buddhist calendar cycle, indicating auspicious and inauspicious days. 盛 (Sakari): Translates to prosperity, peak, or prominence, possibly suggesting a focus on the significance of these days. Together, 六曜盛 (Rokuyō Sakari)—the series title—can be interpreted as "The Six Days in Their Peak" or "The Prosperity of the Six Days" (where "盛" carries the meaning of "prosperous, prominent, or significant"). The two kanji to the left of the series title (物愛) seem to represent 仏滅 (Butsumetsu, the most unlucky day). However, 仏滅 is the standard notation, making the use of 物愛 highly unusual. Comparison with Other Known Prints in the Series: There are two other prints in this series, documented by The Kunisada Project, which feature correctly written names of other Rokuyō days: Taian (大安) – The most lucky day Senshō (先勝) – Lucky in the morning Since both Taian and Senshō are written correctly, it is logical to assume that 物愛 (Butsumetsu) was intended to represent 仏滅 (Butsumetsu, "Buddha’s Death," the most unlucky day). Possible Reasons for the Unconventional Notation: The use of 物愛 instead of 仏滅 remains unexplained, but possibilities include: — A woodblock cutter’s error, possibly confusing the characters 仏滅 with similar-looking ones. — An artistic variation, though this would be unusual since Butsumetsu is almost always written as 仏滅. — A play on words, but no documented precedent has been found for writing Butsumetsu as 物愛. Conclusion: The most accurate title for this print should follow the established pattern in the series and could be phrased as: "Butsumetsu: The Most Unlucky Day, from the series Rokuyō Sakari" or "Rokuyō Sakari: Butsumetsu, The Most Unlucky Day". [With special thanks to Horst Graebner of Kunisada Project]

Taian (大安) – The most lucky day	Senshō (先勝) – Lucky in the morning

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signature: Kunisada ga [国貞画] in a red double-gourd cartouche. Publisher:  Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869); seal: san (三) in a circle to verso. Date seal: Year of the Snake (巳, mi), Tenpō 4 , 1833, to verso. Censor seal: kiwame (極, approved), to verso. Media: Double-side fan print (uchiwa-e); 225 x 292 mm. Series: Tosei rok’kasen or Tosei rokkasen [當世六花撰]  – two translations: (1) by Sebastian Izzard: Six choice modern flowers, (2) by Horst Graebner: Modern Six [Immortal] Poets. Character: Ichikawa Danzō V [市川団蔵] (Japanese, 1788 – 1845); Ichikawa Shikō I, Ichikawa Danzaburō IV, Ichikawa Danjirō I, Ichikawa Morinosuke I. Poet: Fun'ya/Bunya Yasuhide [文屋康秀] (Japanese, ? – c.885) – one of Six Immortal Poets (六歌仙, rokkasen)

A double-sheet uncut fan print with a half-length, three-quarter view, turned to the right, portrait of kabuki actor Ichikawa Danzō V holding a sensu (扇子, folding fan) with a yellow and red design in his right hand, gripping it close to his chest. He wears a blue kimono with circular floral motifs and a white undergarment with a purple geometric pattern; a white hexagonal crest with three stripes is visible on his sleeve. A red scroll with an inscription is hanging behind him. The inscription on a red background reads: Fun'ya (or Bunya) Yasuhide (文屋康秀). Ichikawa Danzō V (市川団蔵) is written with hentaigana and hiragana as Mikawaya Shikō (みかわやしこう), the guild and poetry names of Danzō. The series title Tōsei Rokkasen (当世六歌撰) appears in the red cartouche to the left, and the artist's signature is in the double-gourd red cartouche to the right. The background features a green and purple gradient decorated with floral roundels.

The reverse side features a decorative design with floral roundels in blue and green. A paper slip (tanzaku, 短冊) with a red cloud-like gradient at the edges is positioned diagonally across the composition. The slip contains a calligraphic inscription in cursive script. Three standard seals, publisher, approval, and date, are in the bottom right quadrant of the print.

Ref: (1) [LIB-2967.2022] Utagawa Kunisada (1786 – 1865): His world revisited / Catalogue № 17, Exhibition March 17-21, 2021. — NY: Sebastian Izzard, LLC., 2021; p. 130-1. (2) [LIB-1212.2017] Robert Schaap. Kunisada: Imaging, drama and beauty. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 2016, p. 58. [With tremendous help from Horst Graebner of Kunisada Project].

Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni II [歌川豊国二代] a.k.a. Toyoshige [豊重] (Japanese, (1777 – 1835) Signed: Toyokuni ga (豊國画) Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c.1815–1869); seal: san (三) in circle. Additional publisher red stamp in the form of a double gourd. Date and Censor Seal: 1830 / Aratame seal (改) plus (tora, 寅) = Year of the Tiger, Bunsei 13 (文政十三年) Media: Uchiwa-e (fan print), color woodblock print, 227 x 267 mm Actor: Iwai Kumesaburō II [岩井粂三郎] (Japanese, 1799 – 1836); other names: Iwai Hanshirō VI, Iwai Hisajirō I, Baiga (poetry name), Shūka (poetry name). Role: Osono (おその), wife of Amakawaya Gihei (天川屋義平) Play: Kanadehon Chūshingura, performed at Ichimura-za in the 4th lunar month  of 1830

This uchiwa-e (団扇絵) depicts Iwai Kumesaburō II (岩井粂三郎) as Nyōbō Osono (女房おその), the wife of Amakawaya Gihei (天川屋義平), in Act 10 of Kanadehon Chūshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵). Osono is shown in a half-length portrait, three-quarter view, turned to her left. Behind her, an arrow (矢, ya) has pierced a target (的, mato) in the bullseye. In her hand, she holds a severed lock of her own hair. She wears a green-spotted kimono patterned with white plum blossoms (梅, ume), with a red under-kimono featuring a blue lattice-decorated collar (襟, eri). Her hair is adorned with a gilt comb (櫛, kushi) and hairpins (簪, kanzashi).

In Act 10, Gihei (義平), recognizing that the rōnin’s attack on Moronao is imminent, sends Osono (おその) back to her parents, an act equivalent to divorcing her. Since a divorced woman would typically be remarried by her family, Ōboshi Yuranosuke (大星由良之助) orders Ōwashi Bungo (大鷲文吾) to cut her hair, ensuring that this does not happen, leaving her unmarriageable and still tied to her husband during their separation. "Once we finish our business of killing the enemy, you can celebrate your reunion," said Ōboshi Yuranosuke.

A red slip of paper (短冊, tanzaku) with the actor’s name and role is placed near the upper right.

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786–1865). Signed: 五渡亭国貞画 (Gototei Kunisada ga). Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1820–1850). Date: 1834 — date aratame seal: 午改 – Year of the Horse,  Tenpō 5. Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 235 x 263 mm. Play: Chūshingura, Act VI (Chūshingura, rokudanme, 忠臣蔵 六段目) Actors and Roles: Ichikawa Komazō V [市川高麗蔵] (Japanese, 1812 – 1849); other names: Matsumoto Kinshō I, Matsumoto Kōshirō VI, Matsumoto Kinshi.

Role: Hayano Kanpei (早野勘平)

Segawa Tamon II [瀬川多門)] (Japanese, 1815-1857); other names: Nakamura Daikichi III, Nakamura Matsue 4.5, Sawamura Kitō, Nakamura Keishi, Nakamura Naruo.

Role: Okaru (おかる), Kanpei's wife or lover

This print depicts a dramatic moment from Chūshingura, Act VI, where Kanpei and Okaru are living in seclusion at the home of Okaru's parents in the countryside. Kanpei, wearing a plaid kimono (格子, kōshi pattern) with a yellow sash, sits cross-armed, gazing at his lover with a tense expression. Okaru, dressed in a blue kimono adorned with butterflies and a diaper motif, with black and red accents, leans toward Kanpei in a pleading gesture. The background landscape, enclosed within a decorative cloud frame, suggests a possible mitate (thematic reinterpretation) of the scene. We were unable to confirm these actors in these roles in either 1834 or 1833. The red cartouche on the right reads 忠臣蔵 六段目 (Chūshingura, Act VI).

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786–1865). Signed: 五渡亭国貞画 (Gototei Kunisada ga) Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1820–1850) Date:  Year of the Hare (卯) – Tenpō 2 (1831) plus Aratame (改) Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 225 × 266 mm

Actors and Roles:

• Bandō Mitsugorō III [三代目 坂東 三津五郎] (Japanese, 1775–1831); other names: Bandō Minosuke I, Morita Kanjirō II, Bandō Mitahachi I, Bandō Minosuke I, Bandō Mitahachi I.
  • Played Nowaki-hime no Yūkon (野分姫のゆうこん), disguised as a Shinobu seller (しのふ売り), performing a shosagoto (tari shosagoto, たり所作事).
• Seki Sanjūrō II [関三十郎] (Japanese, 1786–1839); other names: Seki Utasuke I, Nakamura Utasuke, Arashi Sōtarō.
  • Played Watashimori (ferryman) Jinzō (渡し守甚三), also referred to as Dōguya Jinzō (道具屋甚三), a merchant.

Play: Somewake te Shinobu no Irozashi (染分忍彩色) Theatre: Ichimura-za, Edo, 3rd month of 1831 Full-length view of Seki Sanjūrō II as Watashimori Jinzō, standing under a weeping willow inside a boat or ferry, holding a wooden ladle in his right hand. He wears a checkered kimono with alternating olive and white squares, symbolizing the divining rod (sangi, 三木). His inner kimono is blue with stylized pine motifs; over this, he wears a haori decorated with shippo (七宝) and pines. A long wooden oar reinforces his role as a ferryman. Reeds growing near the riverbank and mooring stakes (kui, 杭) suggest a ferry dock or landing point. In the upper right, within a cloud-shaped inset, Bandō Mitsugorō III, as Nowaki-hime no Yūkon, is depicted in disguise as a Shinobu seller, carrying a basket filled with dyed textiles on her head. She is not physically present but rather an imagined or longed-for figure in Jinzō’s thoughts. She wears a blue and beige checked kimono with a black obi, evoking the image of a noblewoman travelling in disguise. Reference images from 阪急文化アーカイブ (HANKYU CULTURE ARCHIVE): We examined multiple documents from the Waseda University database, specifically related to the kabuki program at Ichimura-za in Edo on March 22, 1831 (Tenpō 2, 3rd month):

1. Tsuji banzuke (辻番付, street playbill) – A printed advertisement listing the plays and performers.
2. Yakuwari-bon (役割本, role listing) – A document detailing actor-role assignments.
3. Illustrated playbill pages – Containing scenes from the performances.
4. Crest record (kamon, 家紋) – Indicating actor affiliations.

Performance Overview

• Theater: Ichimura-za, Edo
• Date: March 22, 1831 (Tenpō 2, 3rd month)
• Plays Performed:
  1. 楼門五山桐 (Rōmon Gojō no Kiri) – A historical drama (jidaimono), possibly the first-ranking large performance (ichibanme ōdai, 一番目大切).
  2. 鐘渕劇場故 (Kanegafuchi Shibai no Furugoto) – Likely a domestic drama (sewamono) forming the middle section of the program.
  3. 染分忍彩色 (Somewake te Shinobu no Irozashi) – A second-ranking large performance (nibanme ōdai, 二番目大切), potentially a concluding dance (shosagoto, 所作事).

The print commemorates a performance in the third month of 1831, one of the last appearances of Bandō Mitsugorō III before his death later that year.

Ichikawa Danjūrō VII [市川団十郎] and Iwai Kumesaburō II [岩井粂三郎] as Kinugawa Iemon [絹川伊右衛門] and Tōfuya Kasane [とうふやヶさね], resp., in kabuki play Banzei okuni kabuki [万歳阿国歌舞妓], performed at Ichimura Theatre [市村座] on March, 21, 1827. References: Kunisada Project; Waseda University. Ichikawa Danjūrō VII [市川団十郎] (Japanese, 1791 – 1859); other names: Ichikawa Ebizō V, Ichikawa Hakuen II, Ichikawa Shinnosuke I. Iwai Hanshirō VI [[岩井半四郎] (Japanese, 1799 – 1836); other names: Iwai Hanshirō VI, Iwai Kumesaburō II, Iwai Hisajirō I, Baiga (poetry name), Shūka (poetry name). Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga [五渡亭國貞画]. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. 1790s-1860s). Date seal and aratame seal: boar (亥), Bunsei 10 – 1827. Untrimmed fan print (aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e), 235 x 270 mm. Ichimura-za Kabuki Playbill (Tsuji banzuke):    

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Pubisher (accorfding to Suzuki & Oka): Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, 1815 – 1869), Dansendō [伊場仙]. Title: Beauty holding a roll of paper (by seller); A woman of Edo (by Suzuki & Oka) Date seal and aratame censor seal: 1822 (Bunsei 5). Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga [五渡亭国貞画]. Media: Untrimmed fan print (uchiwa-e), 228 x 295 mm. Ref: [LIB-3085.2022] Jūzō Suzuki, Isaburō Oka. “The decadents”. — Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1969, p. 35, plate 30: exactly this print:  

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞]; a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. C. 1845 – 1847), seal: San [三] (Marks 11-001 | 127c). Block carver: Matsushima Fusajirō [松嶋房次郎] (Japanese, fl. 1843 – 1850); seal [彫工房] – Hori kō Fusa (Gordon Friese № 134). Double nanushi censor seal: Kunigasa & Watanabe (1849-50). Actor: Iwai Hanshirō VIII [岩井半四郎] (Japanese, 1829 – 1882); other names: Iwai Shijaku II, Iwai Kumesaburō III [岩井粂三郎], Iwai Hisajirō II. Play: Yukari no Hana Iro mo Yoshiwara [紫花色吉原], performed at the Kawarazaki Theater (Edo) from the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of Kaei 3 (1850) (see Kabuki Playbill at MFA (Boston) № 11.27996). A famous Yoshiwara courtesan named Manjiya Yatsuhashi [万字屋 八ツ橋] was killed by a provincial commoner Sano Jirōzaemon [佐野次郎左衛門] (on the second sheet of the pair):

SVJP-0298.2019: Ichikawa Ebizō V as Sano Jirōzaemon.

SVJP-0297.2019: Iwai Kumesaburō III as Manjiya Yatsuhashi

Another Kunisada's print with the same characters in the same play and same performance can be seen at MFA (Boston) № 11.40190. One more example can be seen in the two upper images at Waseda University Cultural Resources Database, № 006-2707:  

Artist: Utagawa Sadahide [歌川 貞秀], a.k.a. Gountei Sadahide [五雲亭 貞秀] (1807 – c. 1878/9). Signed: Gountei Sadahide ga [五雲亭貞秀画] Pubisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, 1815 – 1869) Date-aratame seal: Bunsei 13 / Tenpō 1 (1830). Ref: Ritsumeikan University # Z0172-587. Title: The tatami night robe of Iwao [巌の畳夜着] (Kyusue Iwao no tatami yogi); 灸すゑ巌の畳夜着（きゅうすえいわおのたたみよぎ。「灸すえ」– one of the main melodies in katōbushi (河東節) type of jōruri [浄瑠璃]. For a detailed explanation in Japanese, see also HERE). The night robe of Iwao is decorated with characters resembling Arabic numerals, and Latin and Cyrillic letters. A similar kimono can be seen on Kunisada's print Hotoke Gozen, Mirror of Virtuous and Wise Women (Kenjo Kagami) at RISD museum accession number 13.1383, portraying Hotoke Gozen (佛御前), a character of The Tale of the Heike [平家物語] (Heike Monogatari); published by Yamamotoya Heikichi (山本屋平吉) (Japanese, fl. c. 1812 – 1886) in the 1830s (see below). A series of three prints is dedicated to a katōbushi performance of the Soga-themed plays.

SVJP-0270-1.2019: Yukari no Edo-zakura

SVJP-0270-2.2019: The tatami night robe of Iwao

SVJP-0270-3.2019: Tangled Hair and the Evening Braided Hat

They all have a background of hail patterns (Arare-ko-mon) [霰小紋], similar to Kunisada’s Iwai Kumesaburō II as An no Heibei [SVJP-0304.2019], see below.