Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai (Toyokuni I)

Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai
Woodblock print by Toyokuni I in ROM's collection of Japanese art
ArtistUtagawa Toyokuni I
Yearc. 1801
Typeukiyo-e woodblock print
Conditionnot currently on display
LocationRoyal Ontario Museum, Toronto
OwnerRoyal Ontario Museum
Accession926.18.498

Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai is an ukiyo-e woodblock print dating to around 1801 by Edo period artist Utagawa Toyokuni I. Featuring two of the most prominent actors of the day as characters in a contemporary kabuki drama, it is a classic example of the kabuki-e or yakusha-e genre. The print is part of the permanent collection of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada.

Toyokuni and kabuki

Utagawa Toyokuni (歌川豐國), also known as Toyokuni I, was the second head of the Utagawa school, and one of the most influential print-makers of the Edo period. From early adolescence, he apprenticed with Utagawa Toyoharu,[1] studying the style of his mentor, as well as those of Chōbunsai Eishi, Utamaro and Eishōsai Chōki.[2]

Although his initial attempts met with failure,[3] Toyokuni achieved commercial success in 1786 with illustrations for the kibyōshi novelette Tsugamonai hanashi no oyadama (無束話親玉).[4] He soon discovered his niches: bijinga[5] and, more significantly, yakusha-e.[6] Between 1794 and 1796, he created a series of prints entitled Yakusha butai no sugata-e ("Portraits of Actors in Various Roles" - 役者舞台の姿絵), which earned him "rapid recognition,"[7] and "marked the peak of his creative work."[8] Toyokuni befriended prominent actors, and the "overwhelming majority" of his prints relate to kabuki.[9]

Toyokuni's style is admired for its "powerful and vivid lines,"[10] "striking color contrasts,"[11] "decorative bombast,"[12] and "bold, taut designs."[13] He is credited with the innovation of polyptych formats,[14] and with training many prominent pupils, including future masters Kunisada and Kuniyoshi.[15]

Toyokuni is often compared with Sharaku, an artist active during 1794 who specialized in yakusha-e. While Sharaku favoured an exaggerated, stylized approach, Toyokuni's depictions are more realistic,[16] capturing actors "as they appear on stage" and idealizing them.[17] His kabuki-e were more popular with contemporary audiences than those of his rival;[18] however, modern critics tend to credit Sharaku with greater artistic acuity.[19]

Toyokuni was highly prolific,[20] and, by 1800, the Utagawa school had supplanted the Katsukawa as the major producers of kabuki-e.[21] His success appears to have come at a price, however, as the consensus is that the quality of his later work "shows a marked decline,"[22] and even "degenerated frequently into sheer grotesquerie."[23] Some also contend Toyokuni's talent was "predominantly imitative,"[24] more the product of study than "intuitive genius."[25]

left to right: Ichikawa Yaozō, Ichikawa Omezō

Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai

Genre

An image of two actors posing as characters from a play, this print belongs to the kabuki-e (歌舞伎絵) genre, also known as shibai-e (芝居絵), gekijou-e (劇場絵), gekiga (劇画).[26] Literally 'kabuki pictures', kabuki-e began to be produced in the late 17th century.[27] As kabuki grew in popularity, audiences became increasingly interested in the actors. The emergence of star actors led to yakusha-e (役者絵), a subgenre of kabuki-e in which actors were depicted individually or, as in this print, in pairs.[28][29] These images appeared as single-sheet prints or in books of actor prints called yakusha ehon (役者絵本).[30]

Image

In this print, Toyokuni depicts a tableau of two of the most popular kabuki actors of the day in a scene from an unidentified play. The character in the foreground is a samurai. He wears waraji straw sandals, a casual black eboshi cap,[31] and a two-piece kamishimo[32] under a black haori coat. The handles of his two swords peak out behind him on the left, the customary position.[33] His red kumadori makeup is typical of main characters, signifying "bravado and a forceful personality."[34] Hanging down over his right knee is a handful of wheat or rice stalks, which are presumably an element of the drama.

The standing figure is in typical pilgrim or travelling priest garb: waraji, a grey robe, and light-coloured leggings and arm covers.[35] In addition, he wears a gong around his waist and carries a shakujō (錫杖) pilgrim's staff.[36] Behind him, the body and straps of a portable shrine are just visible. Heroes and their foes disguising themselves as pilgrims is a popular kabuki motif. The character's aggressive pose—right arm removed from his robe, menacing facial expression—indicates that he is likely not a benign pilgrim.

Play

Beyond the names of two of the actors involved, there is very little in this print to identify the play it documents. Although some kabuki-e and yakusha-e include character or play names, this print offers neither. In addition, having no date stamp or censor seal makes it difficult to identify the play by date.

Records of Edo period kabuki reveal that early in 1798 Yaozō and Omezō appeared together in the play "Tomioka koi no yamabiraki" (also known as "Ninin Shimbei").[37] Extant images by Toyokuni known to be from this performance—including one featuring Yaozō—however, are very different in style and format from the ROM's print.[38]

In 1803, Yaozō is known to have appeared in Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura, a drama featuring priest and monk characters.[39] As the cast list has been lost, it is unknown whether Omezō also appeared. One Toyokuni print of Yaozō from this play is done in a similar style as the ROM's print, however, the costume is quite different.[40]

kaemon detail

Ichikawa Yaozō III

Both the name cartouche in the upper left-hand corner and the kaemon (替紋) personal crest appearing on the kimono arms of the crouching figure in the foreground identify him as Ichikawa Yaozō III (市川八百蔵) (1747–1818).[41][42] Yaozō, whose professional debut was in 1760, came from a family of kabuki performers.[43] He trained with two very different masters: celebrated onnagata (female role actor) Segawa Kikunojō II, and aragoto ('rough style') master Ichikawa Danjūrō V.[44] He was particularly admired for his performance of wajitsu (calm, clever male hero) roles,[45] and for his portrayal of young women.[46] He appears in several prints by Toyokuni, as well as in prints by Katsukawa Shunkō, Katsukawa Shun'ei and Sharaku.[47]

Stage names[48] Suketakaya Takasuke II Suketakaya Shirogorō Ichikawa Yaozō III Segawa Yūjirō I Sawamura Shirogorō I Sawamura Kimpei I
Literary names Kōga Chūsha Shabo Kion Roshū
Other names Ichikawa Chūsha III
Guilds Kinokuniya Tachibanaya
Masters Ichikawa Danjūrō V Segawa Kikunojō II
Specialty roles wajitsu (和実 - calm, clever males) wakaonnagata (若女方 - young females)

Ichikawa Omezō I

According to the name cartouche, the standing figure is Ichikawa Omezō I (市川男女蔵) (1781-1833), the first actor in a line of 6 generations continuing to the present day.[49] He specialized in dramatic male tachiyaku (立役) and in jitsuaku (実悪) evil warrior roles.[50] Not surprisingly, given his stature as a kabuki star, he was a popular subject for Toyokuni.[51] One of his most famous portraits is Toyokuni's of him in the famous drama Shibaraku[52]

Stage names[53] Ichikawa Benzō II Ichikawa Omezō I Ichikawa Bennosuke
Literary names Shinsha Kaigan
Guild Takinoya
Masters Ichikawa Danjūrō V
Specialty roles tachiyaku (立役 - males) jitsuaku (実悪 - villains)

Date

The ROM labels the print as c. 1801. Although the print has no discernible date or censor seals,[54] Several factors indicate that the print most likely dates to between 1800 and 1804:

  • Toyokuni began working with printer Iseya Magobei in 1795, and did a series of "oblong prints of actor pairs" for the publisher in the early 1800s[55]
  • Ichikawa Yaozō III took the name Suketakaya Takasuke II in 1804 and ceased to be known as Ichikawa Yaozō[56]

Provenance

The print was donated to the ROM by Sir Edmund Walker (1848–1924), long-time president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and first Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the ROM.[57] Walker began collecting Japanese art in the 1870s, making him one of the earliest North American collectors. He bought many pieces in New York in the 1870s and '80s, and during a trip to London in 1909.[58] In 1919, after travelling to Japan, China and Korea, he was named Honorary Consul-General of Japan for Toronto.[59]

"Toyokuni ga" / "Iseya Magobei"
  • Medium: nishiki-e woodblock print on paper
  • Size: chūban
  • Format: tate-e
  • Japanese title: none
  • Exhibit title: Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai
  • Subject: scene from an unspecified kabuki play
  • Signature: Toyokuni ga (豊国画), left centre edge
  • Publisher: Iseya Magobei (伊勢屋孫兵衛)[60]
  • Publisher's mark: Isemago/ Iseson, below signature
  • Censor seal: none
  • Date seal: none
  • Genre: yakusha-e, kabuki-e
  • Credit line: Gift of Sir Edmund Walker

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Chiappa 2013
  2. ^ Percival 1978, 30
  3. ^ The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
  4. ^ Sekai daihyakka jiten
  5. ^ Percival purports that Toyokuni was considered "Utamaro's closest rival in bijinga." (1978, 30)
  6. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica
  7. ^ Tazawa 1981, 346
  8. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica
  9. ^ Marks 2010, 96
  10. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica
  11. ^ The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
  12. ^ Lane 1978, 152
  13. ^ Newland 2003, 502
  14. ^ Percival 1978, 32
  15. ^ Tazawa 1981, 346
  16. ^ Percival 1978, 30
  17. ^ Tazawa 1981, 346
  18. ^ Tazawa 1981, 346
  19. ^ Chiappa 2013
  20. ^ According to Marks, by the time of his death at age 57, Toyokuni had produced more than 90 print series, over 400 illustrated books, and several hundred single sheet prints. (2010, 96)
  21. ^ Newland 2003, 502
  22. ^ Waterhouse 1975, 200
  23. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica
  24. ^ Lane 1978, 151
  25. ^ Chiappa 2012
  26. ^ JAANUS "yakusha-e"
  27. ^ JAANUS "kabuki-e"
  28. ^ JAANUS "yakusha-e"
  29. ^ The JAANUS website offers further subgenres of yakusha-e: ōkubi-e bust portraits, zenshin-zu full-length portraits, scenes inside dressing rooms, mitate-e parody pictures, shini-e death portraits. (JAANUS "kabuki-e")
  30. ^ JAANUS "kabuki-e"
  31. ^ Jlearn.net
  32. ^ "The upper piece was called the kataginu, and was essentially a sleeveless jacket or vest with exaggerated shoulders.... The lower piece was the hakama: wide, flowing trousers." (Samurai Archives)
  33. ^ Samurai Archives
  34. ^ Ring 2011
  35. ^ Clark et al 1994, 259
  36. ^ Schumacher 2011
  37. ^ Shōriya 2013
  38. ^ See the British Museum's image at https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=787463&partId=1, and the Tobacco and Salt Museum's at http://www.jti.co.jp/Culture/museum_e/collection/other/ukiyoe/u6/index.html
  39. ^ Shōriya 2013
  40. ^ "Sc217538.FPX&obj=iip,1.0&wid=960&cvt=jpeg (960x1426 pixels)". zoom.mfa.org. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  41. ^ Lane 1978, 207
  42. ^ Yaozō's other official mark, which appears in some other prints, involves 3 concentric squares, the innermost being black with a white 八 (hachi) character in its centre. (Clark et al. 1994, 479)
  43. ^ His father was actor Sawamura Sōjūrō II, and his brother was actor Sawamura Sōjūrō III. (Shōriya 2013)
  44. ^ Shōriya 2013
  45. ^ Shōriya 2013
  46. ^ Newland 2003, 445
  47. ^ Newland 2003, 445
  48. ^ Newland 2003, 445
  49. ^ Ichikawa Omezô VI (1967- ) took the name in May 2003. (Shōriya 2013)
  50. ^ Newland 2003, 445
  51. ^ Waterhouse 1975, 200
  52. ^ See the V&A website for an image http://www.vam.ac.uk/users/node/7306
  53. ^ Newland 2003, 445
  54. ^ From 1790 until 1876, the shogunate required that prints offered for public sale be assessed by official censors. Once approved, a print would be marked with the censor's name seal and a date stamp. This practice did not apply to private surimono prints or shunga erotica. (Chiappa 2012)
  55. ^ Marks 2010, 220
  56. ^ Shōriya, 2013
  57. ^ Waterhouse 1975, 12
  58. ^ Waterhouse 1975, 13
  59. ^ Waterhouse 1975, 15
  60. ^ Newland 2005, 570-571

References

External sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Utagawa Toyokuni.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Suketakaya Takasuke II.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ichikawa Omezō I.

Read other articles:

Alison Van Uytvanck

Belgian tennis player This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: Alison Van Uytvanck – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template me...

 

Zee Bangla

Indian television channel Television channel Zee BanglaCountryIndiaBroadcast areaIndiaBangladeshHeadquartersKolkata, West Bengal, IndiaProgrammingLanguage(s)BengaliOwnershipOwnerZee Entertainment EnterprisesSister channelsZee ChannelsHistoryLaunched15 September 1999FounderSubhash ChandraFormer namesAlpha TV Bangla (1999–2005)LinksWebsiteZee Bangla on ZEE5 Zee Bangla is an Indian Bengali language general entertainment pay television channel owned by the Zee Entertainment Enterprises. History...

 

Grand Slam (film)

Grand Slam Données clés Réalisation William Dieterle Scénario Erwin S. GelseyDavid Boehm Acteurs principaux Paul LukasLoretta Young Sociétés de production First National Pictures Pays de production États-Unis Genre Comédie Durée 67 minutes Sortie 1933 Pour plus de détails, voir Fiche technique et Distribution Loretta Young et Paul Lukas Grand Slam est un film américain réalisé par William Dieterle, sorti en 1933. Synopsis Un serveur nommé Peter Stanislavsky apprend le jeu d...

Malema (município)

Malema   Vila e município   Estrada de acesso à vila Malema e a MontanhaEstrada de acesso à vila Malema e a Montanha Símbolos Brasão de armas Localização MalemaLocalização de Malema em Moçambique Coordenadas 14° 56' 51 S 37° 24' 57 E País  Moçambique Província Nampula Distrito Malema Administração Presidente do Conselho Municipal Mário Adriano Muimela (RENAMO) Características geográficas População total (2007) 20 277 hab....

 

Hattori Heiji

Hattori HeijiNhân vật trong Thám tử lừng danh ConanXuất hiện lần đầuAnime - Tập 48 Manga - Tập 10Sáng tạo bởiAoyama GoshoLồng tiếng bởiHorikawa Ryo (tiếng Nhật) Hồ Tiến Đạt (tiếng Việt 112 tập đầu) Quang Tuyên (tiếng Việt tập 113 đến nay)Lý lịchBiệt danhThám tử miền tâyGiới tínhNamHọ hàngHattori Heizo (ba) Hattori Shizuka (mẹ)Quốc tịch Nhật Bản Hattori Heiji (服部 平次 (Phục Bộ Bình...

 

German trawler V 312 Hanseat

German fishing trawler History Name Sirius (1926–29) Hanseat (1929–42) Owner Sirius Handels GmbH (1926–29) Hanseatische Hochseefischerei (1929–41) Kriegsmarine (1941–42) Port of registry Germany (1926–29) Altona, Germany (1929–33) Altona, Germany (1933–41)  Kriegsmarine (1941–42) BuilderJ. C. Tecklenborg Yard number406 Launched5 August 1926 Out of service20 August 1942 Identification Code Letters QVLB (1926–34) Fishing boat registration BX 189 (1926–41) Code Letters...

Swathi Muthyam (2022 film)

2022 Indian filmSwathi MuthyamTheatrical release posterDirected byLakshman K. KrishnaWritten byS. V. Raghav Reddy (Dialogues)Screenplay byLakshman K. KrishnaProduced bySuryadevara Naga VamsiStarringBellamkonda Ganesh Varsha BollammaVennela KishoreCinematographySuryaaEdited byNaveen NooliMusic byMahati Swara SagarProductioncompaniesSithara EntertainmentsFortune Four CinemasRelease date 5 October 2022 (2022-10-05) Running time114 minutesCountryIndiaLanguageTelugu Swathi Muthyam (...

 

القاهر (الشرية)

  لمعانٍ أخرى، طالع القاهر (توضيح). قرية القاهر  - قرية -  تقسيم إداري البلد  اليمن المحافظة محافظة البيضاء المديرية مديرية الشرية العزلة عزلة آل غنيم السكان التعداد السكاني 2004 السكان 475   • الذكور 241   • الإناث 234   • عدد الأسر 57   • عدد المساكن 49 مع...

 

Ethiopian birr

Currency of Ethiopia For other uses, see Birr (disambiguation). Ethiopian birrReverse of a 1 Ethiopian birr note, depicting the Tisisat waterfalls.ISO 4217CodeETB (numeric: 230)Subunit0.01UnitSymbolBr‎ (Latin Script)ብር (Ethiopic Script)DenominationsSubunit 1⁄100santimBanknotes1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 birrCoins1, 5, 10, 25, 50 santim; 1 birrDemographicsUser(s) EthiopiaIssuanceCentral bankNational Bank of Ethiopia Websitewww.nbe.gov.etValuationInflation15% ...

Gumti River (Tripura)

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: Gumti River Tripura – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2006) River in Comilla, TripuraGomoti RiverGomoti river in Kaptan Bazar, ComillaLocation in BangladeshNative nameগোমতী নদী (Bengali)LocationIndiaTrip...

 

5 Minute Walk

American independent record label 5 Minute WalkFounded1995 (1995)FounderFrank TateDefunct2004 (2004)Distributor(s)Diamante Music Group, Chordant/EMIGenreChristian rockCountry of originU.S.LocationConcord, CaliforniaOfficial websitewww.5minutewalk.com 5 Minute Walk was an independent record label founded by Frank Tate in April 1995. Operations were based in Concord, California in the back offices of The Screem, a music club operated by Tate.[1] They only carried Christian ban...

 

Turks in Kyrgyzstan

Ethnic Turks of Kyrgyzstan Turks in KyrgyzstanTotal population 50,000[1] to 70,000[2] plus 3,200 Turkish nationals[3] Regions with significant populationsBishkekChüy ROshOsh RTalas RLanguagesTurkishReligionIslam Part of a series of articles onTurkish people People List of Turkish people PopulationTraditional Areas of Turkish Settlement Turkish majorities: Turkey Northern Cyprus Turkish minorities in the Balkans: Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Greece Kosovo Montenegro North M...

Pope John Paul I: The Smile of God

2006 Italian miniseries directed by Giorgio Capitani Pope John Paul I: The Smile of GodWritten byFrancesco Scardamaglia Massimo CerofoliniDirected byGiorgio CapitaniStarringNeri MarcorèComposerMarco FrisinaCountry of originItalyOriginal languageItalianProductionCinematographyClaudio SabatiniEditorAntonio SicilianoRunning time180 min.Original releaseNetworkRai 1Release2006 (2006) Pope John Paul I: The Smile of God (Italian: Papa Luciani - Il sorriso di Dio) is a 2006 Italian television m...

 

Union Creek (Rogue River tributary)

This article is about a stream in Oregon. For other uses, see Union Creek. River in Oregon, United StatesUnion CreekNear Union Creek LodgeLocation of the mouth of Union Creek in OregonEtymologyUnion Peak in Crater Lake National Park.[2]LocationCountryUnited StatesStateOregonCountyJacksonPhysical characteristicsSourcenear Rocktop Butte • locationRogue River – Siskiyou National Forest, Cascade Range • coordinates42°49′50″N 122°17′58″W...

 

Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás

Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in Argentina (1983) Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás Nuestra Señora del Rosario de San NicolásLocationSan Nicolás de los Arroyos Buenos Aires province,  ArgentinaDate1884, rediscovered 1983TypePlaster statue, crownedApprovalMay 22, 2016[1]Bishop Héctor CardelliDiocese of San Nicolás de los ArroyosShrineSanctuary of Our Lady of Rosary of San Nicolás, Buenos Aires province,  Argentina Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolá...

2012 Individual Ice Racing World Championship

2012 Individual Ice Racing World Championship Previous 2011 Next 2013 The 2012 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship was the 2012 version of FIM Individual Ice Racing World Championship season. The world champion was determined by eight races hosted in four cities, Krasnogorsk, Ufa, Assen and Uppsala between 4 February and 1 April 2012.[1] [2] Final Series Venue 1 Krasnogorsk 2 Krasnogorsk 3 Ufa 4 Ufa 5 Assen 6 Assen 7 Uppsala 8 Uppsala Classification Pos Rider Pts 1 Nikolay Kra...

 

Modern Language Quarterly

Academic journalDisciplineLiterary HistoryLanguageEnglishEdited byMarshall BrownPublication detailsHistory1940-presentPublisherDuke University Press and University of Washington (USA)FrequencyQuarterlyStandard abbreviationsISO 4 (alt) · Bluebook (alt1 · alt2)NLM (alt) · MathSciNet (alt )ISO 4Mod. Lang. Q.IndexingCODEN (alt · alt2) · JSTOR (alt) · LCCN (alt)MIAR · NLM (alt) ·&#...

 

Hệ thống phân loại phim của MPAA

Hiệp hội Điện ảnh Hoa Kỳ - Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) đưa ra Hệ thống phân loại phim của MPAA và áp dụng trên toàn lãnh thổ Hoa Kỳ để phân loại phim trước khi lưu hành rộng rãi nhằm đảm bảo tựa đề, nội dung và tính chất của phim đúng với đối tượng xem. Đây là hệ thống được sử dụng rộng rãi nhất trên toàn thế giới để phân loại phim cho các đối tượng xem trẻ em...

Disk mirroring

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Disk mirroring – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) RAID 1 layout In data storage, disk mirroring is the replication of logical disk volumes onto separate physical hard disks in real...

 

Hong Leong Group

Not to be confused with Hong Leong Group Singapore & Hong Leong Finance in Singapore which using similar name. Hong Leong Company (Malaysia) BerhadHong Leong Group's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Trade nameHong Leong GroupIndustryConglomerateFounded1963HeadquartersLevel 30, Menara Hong Leong, No. 6 Jalan Damanlela, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia[1]Areas servedMalaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Cambodia and ChinaKey peopleQuek Leng Chan (Chairman, Co-f...

 

Strategi Solo vs Squad di Free Fire: Cara Menang Mudah!