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Title: Early Spring [初春之図] (Hatsuharu no zu); Series: Fashionable Twelve Months [今様十二ヶ月] (Imayo juni-kagetsu). Another version of translation: Modern Beauties of Twelve Months. Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I [歌川豊国] (1769–1825). Pubisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, 1815 – 1869), seal: Dansendō [伊場仙]. Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国画] and sealed with toshidama. Date-kiwame seal: Ushi (ox), Bunsei 5 (1822). Size: double-sheet uncut fan print ( aiban uchiwa-e), each 217 x 288 mm. Ref: Tokyo Museum Collection.
Other five prints of this series: SVJP 0326.2020; SVJP-0362.2022; SVJP-0363.2022; SVJP-0364.2022; SVJP-0365.2022. -
Kabuki actor: Matsumoto Kōshirō V [五代目松本幸四郎] (Japanese, 1764-1838); other names: Ichikawa Komazō III, Ichikawa Sumizō I. Role: Nikki Danjo (仁木弾正): "Evil retainer Nikki Danjo who plots to overthrow his lord in the play Precious incense and the bush clover of Sendai (Meiboku sendai hagi)" [R. Kruml]. Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Block cutter: Horikō (Kiyomizu) Ryūzō [彫工 柳三]. Publisher: Ebisuya Shoshichi [恵比寿屋庄七], Kinshōdō (Japanese, fl. c. 1846 – 1883). Year: 1863 (Bunkyū 3), 7th month. Size: Vertical ōban, hōsho paper. Signed: Nanajuhassai (aged seventy-eight) Toyokuni ga within toshidama cartouche. Censor’s seal: date-aratame. This print is from a series of portraits that Kunisada undertook very late in life and has been named Kinshodo-ban yakusha okubi-e (Kinshodo’s Large-Head Actor Portraits) in reference to the publisher, Ebisuya Shochochi of Kinshodo. The series depicted great actors in their famous roles from the past and present. Ref.: (1) [LIB-1212.2017] Robert Schaap. Kunisada: Imaging, drama and beauty. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 2016, p. 118 and 167 (№ 42):
Ref.: (1) [LIB-1197.2016] Arendie and Henk Herwig. Heroes of the kabuki stage: an introduction to kabuki with retellings of famous plays, illustrated by woodblock prints. — Amsterdam: Hotei Publishing, 2004; pp. 243-249.
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Series: Pictures Associated with the Iroha Syllabary [伊呂波画合]. Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi [歌川 國芳] (1798 – 1861). Signed: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga [一勇斎 國芳戯画] (Playfully drawn by Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi) in a red double-gourd cartouche with a kiri-mon seal beneath. Publisher: Iseya Ichiemon [伊勢屋市右衛門] (Japanese, fl. 1823 – c. 1864); seal [辻] (Marks 16-029 | 143a). Single nanushi censor seal: Mura [村] = Murata Sahei [村田佐右衛] (VI/1842 – V/1846). Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 231 x 296 mm. Theme: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers [仮名手本忠臣蔵] (Kanadehon Chūshingura) – an 11-act puppet play composed in 1748, based on a historical event. "Most historians now agree that there were forty-seven rōnin of Ako who attacked and killed Kira Yoshinaka (吉良 義央, 1641 – 1703) in Edo in the twelfth month of 1702, twenty-two months after their lord Asano Naganori (浅野 長矩, 1667 – 1701) had been put to death for his own failed attempt on Kira’s life". [Henry D. SMITH II. The Trouble with Terasaka: The Forty-Seventh Rōnin and the Chūshingura Imagination / Japan Review, 2004, 16:3-65]. The reader shall remember that the fictional, romantic version of the Akō incident [赤穂事件] (Akō jiken) may not (and most probably does not) reflect the historical truth of events. Uncut fan print depicting a beautiful young woman covering another woman's mouth with a blue striped cloth, possibly an obi. The picture on the wall represents the scene from the final act of The Treasury of Loyal Retainers (Kanadehon Chūshingura, Act 11) when 47 loyal retainers (rōnin) of the late lord En'ya Hangan came to the house of Kō no Moronao in order to avenge their dead master. The leader of 47 rōnin, Ōboshi Yuranosuke, divided his accomplices into several groups which attacked the Moronao mansion from different directions. To coordinate the attack and keep communication among the groups, the rōnin were signing the first syllables of their names in the hiragana syllabary. There are two major types of the ordering of the hiragana syllabary, the Gojūon one and the Iroha order (pangram poem), the latter being used here. The number of avengers exactly matches the 47 letters of that syllabary. The group entering Moronao's house from the front gate was 'chi-ri-nu-ru-wo-wa-ka'. Yoshida Sadaemon Kanesada [葦田貞右衛門兼貞] (1675 – 1703) depicted on this fan print belongs to this group. The character on the lantern hanging from Yoshida's spear reads Chū [忠] – for Chūshingura. Alternating black and white triangles on the picture frame allude to the 'signature' 47 ronin's uniform. This motif is usually described as a zigzag pattern [雁木模様] (gangi moyō), a mountain-shaped pattern [山形模様] (yamagata moyō), or a mountain road [山道] (yamamichi). The rōnin were allegedly wearing this uniform in imitation of firefighters. The government allowed the firefighters alone to gather in large groups and carry equipment akin to that of the military. Such equipment was necessary for firemen to tear down the burning buildings to stop the flames. The design can be seen in Kunimaru's fan print [SVJP-0233.2018] in this collection.Fighting Moronao's guards, the 47 rōnin entered the mansion and searched for their enemy but in vain. Finally, Yazama Jujiro Motooki [矢間重次郎元興] found the villain in the charcoal chamber and called his friends. This is the exact moment we see in the picture on the wall: Yoshida entering the charcoal chamber with a spear in his hand amid falling baskets and charcoal. Kō no Moronao was brought to justice and beheaded; his head was offered before the memorial tablet of En'ya Hangan to appease his spirit. After that, Ōboshi Yuranosuke and his 46 friends committed seppuku. They were buried at Sengakuji (泉岳寺) – a small temple near Shinagawa in Edo (Tokyo).
Utagawa Kunimaru. Chūshingura, Act 11.
Another fan print from the same series can be found at Kuniyoshi Project:
The same subject is portrayed by Kuniyoshi in the series Mirror of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Retainers [誠忠義臣鏡] (Seichû gishin kagami), publisher: Kagiya Hanjirô, c. 1851 (Kuniyoshi Project) – Yoshida Sadaemon Kanesada (葦田貞右衛門兼貞) raising his sword amid falling baskets and charcoal:
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Artist (attributed, no signature): Suzuki Harunobu [鈴木 春信] (Japanese, c. 1725 – 1770). The title is taken from [LIB-1478.2013] Gian Carlo Calza, Stefania Piotti. Poem of the pillow and other stories. — Phaidon Press, 2010; pp. 148-9. Alternative title: Man sucking woman's breast and a cat sitting under a bonsai tree. The open book beside the couple reads 子春 (Koharu). Woodblock print from the series Mirror Picture of Japan (Wakoku kagami); Size: Horizontal chuban; 21 x 26 cm. -
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:
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Bandō Mitsugorō III as Daihanji Kiyozumi and Arashi Koroku IV as Koganosuke in kabuki play Imoseyama, an example of womanly virtue (Imoseyama onna teikin). 大判事清澄 坂東三津五郎」（三代）・「久我之助 嵐小六」（四代） Artist: Shunkōsai Hokushū [春好斎北洲] (Japanese, fl. 1802 – 1832) Year: 1821 (3rd month). MFA description: “The Kabuki play Mount Imo and Mount Se: An Exemplary Tale of Womanly Virtue (Imoseyama onna teikin), originally based on a puppet play, is set in ancient Japan when the Soga clan served as regents to the emperor. Two children, Hinadori and Koganosuke, of rival court families, are held hostage under orders from the tyrant Soga no Iruka to ensure their families do not revolt. The children fall in love, but rather than create conflicts for their families they each vow to die by suicide. When the parents learn of their plans, they resolve to cooperate to overthrow Iruka. Here Koganosuke and his father Kiyozumi are shown; a companion sheet on the left would have shown Hinadori and her mother Sadaka.” The play Imoseyama, an example of womanly virtue (Imoseyama onna teikin), was staged at Osaka's Kado Shibai (Kadoza, Kado Gekijô, Kado no Shibai) from 3/1821. According to Herwig, it is the right sheet of a diptych (see below). MFA Accession number: 2011.128 Kabuki actors: Bandō Mitsugorō III [三代目 坂東 三津五郎] (Japanese, 1775 – 1831); other names: Bandō Minosuke I, Morita Kanjirô II, Bandō Mitahachi I, Bandō Minosuke I, Bandō Mitahachi I. Arashi Koroku IV [四代目嵐小六] (Japanese, 1783 – 1826)
Ref.: [LIB-1197.2016] Arendie and Henk Herwig. Heroes of the kabuki stage: an introduction to kabuki with retellings of famous plays, illustrated by woodblock prints. — Amsterdam: Hotei Publishing, 2004; p. 72:
Ref: [LIB-2973.2022] Ukiyo-e: A journey through the Floating World / Exhibition catalogue (Japan, Jan-Jul 2014). — The Yomiuri Shimbun, 2014; № 358, p. 226. "Bandō Mitsugorō III as Grand arbiter Kiyosumi and Arashi Koroku IV as Koganosuke":
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Artist: Tsukioka Tanka [旦霞] (Japanese, fl. c. 1830s – 1840s). Publisher: Enshūya Matabei [遠州屋又兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1768 – 1881); seal: Enmata. Title: Picture of Fuji, Tsukuba and Sumida River [富士筑波隅田川の圖] (フジ ツクバ スミダガワ ノ ズ | Fuji Tsukuba Sumidagawa no zu). Date seal 巳 + kiwame: Tenpō 4 (1833). Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 235 x 302 mm, aizuri-e. Only four prints are known from this artist, all fans: (1) National Diet Library 2542868:
(2) Ritsumeikan University mai30_07:
(3) RISD Museum 34.334:
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A shunga (erotic) print by Suzuki Harunobu [鈴木 春信] (Japanese, c. 1725 – 1770) depicting a woman making love with a man in the palanquin (のりもの/乗り物) while the other woman "ties a sash about her hips below her obi." The sheet is not signed; however, it is attributed to Harunobu. A reference image can be found in the Metropolitan Museum (NY) collection, Accession Number JP1635:According to the MET "the palanquin ... has carried these courtesans to the shore for a spring outing". Some time ago, a similar print was sold by Richard Kruml (description: A chuban shunga print showing the occupant of a kago in flagrante with one of the porters, having seized the opportunity of a stop on the journey. Published late 1760s. Rare). Another copy was sold at Sotheby's in Paris for €3,360 on November 27, 2002 (Lot 24), with a reproduction of the print's detail and description on p. 39: Suzuki Harunobu (1725 – 1770) | Shunga: couple dans un palanquin, vers 1768-1770, non-signe, cachet non identifé, cachets Charles Mitchell, Huguette Berès, Format chuban, 20.1 x 28.6 cm | 3000 – 4000 € | Il s’agit probablement de trois voyageurs, l’un d’entre eux debout près du palanquin faisant mine d’ignorer la scène. Bibliographie: Delay p. 87. Reference: [LIB-3121.2022] Sotheby's: Collection Huguette Berès – Estampes, dessins et livres illustrés japonais / 2 volumes; vol. 1. — Paris: Sotheby's, 2002.
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45071
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Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). No publisher seal, no date or censor seal; probably a private printing. Signed: Kunisada ga [国貞画] in a red double gourd cartouche. Media: Untrimmed fan print (uchiwa-e), 231 x 294 mm, with the use of mica and black lacquer. -
Okon's Lover Fukuoka Mitsugi, from the series Mirror of Virtuous Women (Teijo misao kagami)「てい女 美作保鏡 おこん 福岡貢」. Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi [歌川 國芳] (Japanese, 1798 – 1861). Publisher: Kojimaya Jūbei [小嶋屋重兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1797 – 1869). Year: 1843–47 (Tenpô 14–Kôka 4). Signed: 一勇斎国芳画 – Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Watari. Size: Vertical ôban; 36.8 x 25.6 cm Ref.: MFA № 11.16085. -
The right sheet of (optional) triptych: Geisha (Geiko) and kabuki actor Iwai Hanshirō V as Katanaya Hanshichi from Three pleasures of present-day Osaka (Tōsei Naniwa no sankō)「当世浪花の三興 芸子」 「刀屋半七」五代目岩井半四郎. Publisher: Iseya Rihei [伊勢屋利兵衛] (Japanese, fl. 1790s – c. 1879) Year: 1821 (Bunsei 4). Size: Vertical ōban; 36.5 x 25.2 cm. Signed: 於浮瀬亭国貞画 – Drawn by Kunisada in Ukabuse (Ukabuse ni oite Kunisada ga). Ukabuse is the name of a famous restaurant in Osaka, this signature can be found only on a three print bijin series [Kunisada Project]. Censor's seal: kiwame 改印：極 Actor Iwai Hanshirō V [岩井半四郎] (Japanese, 1776 – 1847); other names: Iwai Tojaku, Iwai Kumesaburō I. Character: Katanaya Hanshichi [刀屋半七] Ref: MFA ACCESSION NUMBER 11.21938; LIB-2967.2022 Izzard. Full series (triptych) Three Pleasures of Present-day Osaka (Tōsei Naniwa no sankō):
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Artist: Utagawa Sadahide [歌川貞秀] (Japanese, 1807 – 1879) Publisher: Kojimaya Jūbei [小島屋重兵衛] (Japanese, c. 1797 – 1869) No date seal, no censor seal (privately printed?) Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 235 x 297 mm. Kalimeris incisa, or Japanese Aster, is a daisy-like flower that belongs to the family of Asteraceae; it blossoms all summer and attracts butterflies. Peony [牡丹] (botan) – per Merrily Baird it is "the king of flowers", associated with erotic love, and especially with the sexual activities of women. -
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Publisher: Matsumura Tatsuemon [松村辰右衛門] (Japanese, fl. c. 1793 – 1832). Year: c. 1820–22 (Bunsei era). Signed: 五渡亭国貞画 – Gototei Kunisada ga. Censor's seal: kiwame 改印：極
SVJP-0179-6.2014
The Hour of the Dragon, Fifth Hour of Day (Tatsu no koku, Hi no itsutsu toki), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今世時計十二時 辰ノ刻 日ノ五つ時」 MFA impression: 11.15315. 
SVJP-0179-1.2014
The Hour of the Rabbit, Sixth Hour of Day (U no koku, Ake muttsu toki), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今世時計十二時 卯ノ刻 明六つ時」. MFA impression: 11.15317 
SVJP-0179-2.2014
The Hour of the Monkey, Seventh Hour of Day (Saru no koku, Hi no nanatsu toki), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今様時計十二時 申ノ刻 日ノ七つ時」 MFA impression: 11.39692 
SVJP-0179-8.2014
The Hour of the Horse, Ninth Hour of Day (Uma no koku, Hi kokonotsu toki), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今世時計十二時 午ノ刻 日九つ時」. MFA impression: 11.15314 
SVJP-0179-4.2014
The Hour of the Boar, Fourth Hour of Night (I no koku, Yoru yottsu toki), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今世時計十二時 亥ノ刻 夜四つ時」. MFA impression: 11.15552 
SVJP-0179-3.2014
The Hour of the Tiger, Seventh Hour of Night (Tora no koku, Yoru nanatsu), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今世時計十二時 寅ノ刻 夜七つ」. MFA impression: 11.15313 Ref.: Izzard. Kunisada’s world [LIB-2970.2022]. 
SVJP-0179-5.2014
The Hour of the Ox, Eight Hour of Night (Ushi no koku, Yoru no yattsu toki), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今世時計十二時 丑ノ刻 夜ノ八つ時」. MFA impression: 11.26906 
SVJP-0179-7.2014
The Hour of the Rat, Ninth Hour of Night (Ne no koku, Yoru kokonotsu toki), from the series Twelve Hours of a Modern Clock (Imayo tokei jūniji) 「今世時計十二時 子ノ刻 夜九つ時」. MFA impression: 11.15312 -
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Artist signature: By the brush of the 79-year-old Toyokuni [七十九歳豊國画] (Nanajūkyū-sai Toyokuni ga). Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke [海老屋林之助] (Japanese, fl. c. 1832 – 1895); seal: ト/ 海老林 (to, Ebirin). Block carver: Matsushima Masakichi [松島政吉]; seal: carved by Masa [彫政] (Hori Masa). Combined date seal and kiwame censor seal: [子極] 1864 (Bunkyū 4/Genji 1). Media: Untrimmed fan print (uchiwa-e), 223 x 297 mm. Inscription in the cartouches: (R) Wakana-hime [若菜姫], Sawamura Tanosuke III [沢村田之助]; (L) Ashikaga Sanshichirō [足利三七郎], Sawamura Tosshō II [沢村訥升]. Play: Kinoene Soga Daikoku-bashira [甲子曽我大国柱], performed at the Morita theatre [森田座・守田座] (Morita-za) in 1864 (Bunkyū 4/Genji 1), 2nd month (see playbill at MFA-Boston Collection). Playwright: Muraoka Kōji II [村岡幸治]. Actors and Characters: Sawamura Tanosuke III [三代目沢村田之助] (Japanese, 1859 – 1878); other names: Shozan [曙山] (poetry name), Sawamura Yoshijirō I [初代沢村由次郎], here in the role of Princess Wakana [若菜姫] (Wakana-hime) (R). The story about Princess Wakana, Shiranui Monogatari, was written by Ryukatei Tanekazu [柳下亭種員] (Japanese, 1807 – 1858) and published as a 90-volume book of comics between 1849 and 1855. ...The tale revolves around the clash between the Kikuchi and Ōtomo clans. Princess Wakana’s father Ōtomo Sōrin [大友 宗麟] (1530 – 1587) was killed in a battle, and his spirit demanded revenge. To appease her late father's spirit, Princes Wakana acquired the power of the Earth Spider. She often appears in prints with a magic scroll, which helps her fight various enemies. Sawamura Tosshō II [二代目沢村訥升] (Japanese, 1854 – 1879); other names: Kōga [高賀] (poetry name), Sawamura Genpei II [二代目沢村源平], Sawamura Sōjūrō [澤村宗十郎], Suketakaya Takasuke IV [四代目助高屋高助], Sawamura Tosshi VI [六代目澤村訥子] (poetry name), here in the role of Ashikaga Sanshichirō [足利三七郎] (L) with a horse. According to Markus Sesko, the scene comes from the kabuki play Umakiri (馬斬り) by Tatsuoka Mansaku [辰岡万作] (17432 – 1809), which premiered in 1794. It was later assimilated into the Kabuki play Kozotte Mimasu Kuruwa no Datezome [襷廓三升伊達染], which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1853 at the Nakamura-za. Umakiri is based on a Kyōgen play featured in Hideyoshi’s biography Taikōki [太閤記]. Its plot is that Ashikaga Sanchichirō Yoshitaka [足利三七郎義孝・義高], who is supposed to allude to Nobunaga’s son Oda Sanshichirō Nobutaka [織田三七郎信孝], attacks and kills a horse that is carrying 3,000 ryō (金三千両), money Mashiba Hisayoshi [真柴久吉] (an allusion to Hashiba Hideyoshi [羽柴秀吉]) had sent to be donated to a shrine on Mt. Kōya. The surrounding people try to catch him, but when they hear it is Yoshitaka who killed the horse, they fall to the ground and prostrate, and Yoshitaka leisurely leaves with the money. The plot is very simple, but Yoshitaka’s dashing appearance makes it very pleasing to watch. There are also prints that quote the main protagonist as Ashikaga Sanshichirō Harutaka [足利三七郎春高], and there is another title for the play, Sanzen-Ryō Kogane no Kurairi [三千両黄金蔵入] (Pocketing 3,000 ryō of gold). For reference, see also the BLOG. What these two characters are doing in one play remains a riddle. As Mr Graebner comments: "Most kabuki plays were only performed for one season (two months), and the books were lost. The playwrights have repeatedly used parts of plots from other plays, they have adopted characters, sometimes with the same or similar names. What can be found is the Kabuki Playbill (Tsuji banzuke) with cast and roles; the content is lost".Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Horst Graebner of the Kunisada Project and to Markus Sesko of The Metropolitan Museum, NY, for the analysis of the image and their invaluable contribution. For reference, see also:
MBA-Boston Accession number 11.28192
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Artist: Katsukawa Shunkō [勝川 春好] (Japanese, 1743 – 1812).Actor: Matsumoto Kōshirō IV [[松本幸四郎]; other names: Omegawa Kyōjūrō, Ichikawa Komazō II, Ichikawa Somegorô I, Ichikawa Takejūrō, Segawa Kinji, Segawa Kingo] (Japanese, 1737 – 1802).
Signed: Shunkō ga. Size: Hosoban; 14 x 33 cm. SOLD -
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Ōju Toyokuni ga [応需豊国画], in a toshidama cartouche. Double nanushi censor seals: Mera & Murata (1846-50). Publisher: Kojimaya Jūbei [小嶋屋重兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1797 – 1869). A beautiful woman, possibly a kabuki actor Iwai Hanshirō VIII [岩井半四郎] (Iwai Shijaku II, Iwai Kumesaburō III [岩井粂三郎], Iwai Hisajirō II, Japanese, 1829 – 1882), tuning the samisen on a veranda under the shining stars. The complete set of series Moon, Sun, Stars [月日星] (tsuki-hi-hoshi/boshi), three sources of light (sankō) [三光]: -
Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige II (二代目 歌川広重] (Japanese, 1826 – 1869). Signed: Hiroshige ga. Publisher: Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, c. 1776 – 1862); seal: Hanmoto, Ue [板元 上] (Marks 19-047 | 156d). Combined date seal and kiwame censor seal: Bunkyū 2 (1862) Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 230 x 296 mm. -
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. Double nanushi censor seal: Kunigasa & Watanabe (1849-50). Actor: Ichikawa Danjūrō VII [市川団十郎] (Japanese, 1791 – 1859); other names: Ichikawa Ebizō V [市川海老蔵], Ichikawa Hakuen II, Ichikawa Shinnosuke I. 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).
Sano Jirōzaemon [佐野次郎左衛門] – provincial commoner who killed a famous Yoshiwara courtesan named ManjiyaYatsuhashi [万字屋 八ツ橋] (on the second sheet of the pair):
Another Kunisada's print with the same characters in the same play and same performance can be seen at MFA (Boston) № 11.40190.
SVJP-0298.2019: Ichikawa Ebizō V as Sano Jirōzaemon.
SVJP-0297.2019: Iwai Kumesaburō III as Manjiya Yatsuhashi
One more example can be seen at the two upper images in Waseda University Cultural Resources Database, № 006-2707:
