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Description

Ōban nishiki-e (大判錦絵). Print depicting a samurai figure, Shirai Gonpachi (白井権八), played by the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūro (市川團十郎) holding a scroll of tehai-sho (手配書; arrest instructions) with a dog at the figure's feet that has a piece of crumpled paper in its mouth. The figure and dog are set against a light blue background with figures and a moon in the distance. The name Shirai Gonpachi (白井権八) appears in a rectangular on a red background to his left. To the side of the figure is a butterfly against a patterned grey and black background. The title of the series, “Ogura nazorae hyakunin isshu (小倉擬百人一首) appears, on a pink background, in the top right corner. To the left of it is a black and white female figure, with a poem by Suō no Naishi written above and left of her. The writing on a green background in the top left corner is a legend by Ryūkatei Tanekazu. A signature 応需豊国画 (Ōju Toyokuni ga), and block cutter’s mark, 彫工竹 (Horikō take) appear in a small rectangular on a yellow background at the bottom left.

Narrative

Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首) is a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese poems by one hundred poets. The standard and well-known version was compiled by Fujiwara no Teika or Fujiwara no Sadaie (藤原定家, 1162–1241). As it was compiled while he lived in the Ogura district of Kyoto, it is known as Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (小倉百人一首). The poem by Suō no Naishi (周防内侍) reads: “春の夜の ゆめばかりなる 手枕に　かひなくたたむ 名こそをしけれ (Haru no yo no/ yama bakari naru/ ta-makura ni/ kai naku tatan/ na koso oshikere).” The legend by Ryūkatei Tanekazu (柳下亭種員) reads: “彼村正の切味ハ　色にも手練の若衆より　八重梅うたふ土手節ハ　其通ひ路の業呉事　一節切とハ名を聞も　いと憂し (Kare muramasa no kireajiwa/ ironimo shuren no wakashū yori/ yaeume utau dotebushi wa/ sono kayoiji no wazakure goto/ hitoyogiri to wa na wo kikumo/ itoushi.”

History Of Use

This type of ukiyo-e print is referred to as ōban nishiki-e (大判錦絵). Ōban refers to a print size about 24-25cm x 32-37 cm, and nishiki-e refers to a multi-coloured woodblock print. This print is by Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) (aka Utagawa Toyokuni III 三代目歌川豊国/豊國); titled: Ogura nazorae hyakunin isshu, Suō no Naishi, Shirai Gonpachi (小倉擬百人一首 　周防内侍　 白井権八). It is no. 67 from the series, Ogura nazorae hyakunin isshu (小倉擬百人一首; Ogura Imitations of One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets), published by Ibaya Senzaburō (伊場屋 仙三郎) in 1844–1848. The series consists of 100 prints; 35 prints by Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重, 1797–1858), 51 prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳, 1797–1861) and 14 prints by Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞, 1786–1864). The margin where the series number and publisher’s seal should appear is cropped off from this print.

Iconographic Meaning

The print depicts a scene of the kabuki, Ukiyogawa hiyoku no inazuma (浮世柄比翼稲妻), first performed in 1823. The main character is Shirai Gonpachi (白井権八).