Onoe Tamizo II as a night watchman and as a Chinese princess
Onoe Tamizo II as a night watchman and as a Chinese princess

Gatōken Shunshi (画登軒春芝) (artist )

Gatōken Shunshi (画登軒春芝) of Onoe Tamizō II (尾上多見蔵) as both a night watchman and a Celestial princess from the play Hatsuharu no Kotobuki Iwau Kokonobake 初春寿九化 - (A Set of Nine Changes - 九之化之内)

Print


1829
10.25 in x 14.5 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Gatōken Shunshi ga
画登軒春芝画
Publishers: Kichi (Marks U140 - seal closest to 06-012)
and Honya Seishichi (Marks 123 - seal 13-004)
Lyon Collection - Tamizo II as Genta and a fisherman
Osaka Prints - Kaminari and Tobane from this series
Lyon Collection - Tamizō as both Gorō Tokimune and a young girl
Lyon Collection - Tamizo II as Kaminari and Tobane
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Lyon Collection - another print by Toyokuni I showing the celestial princess The title of this series and that of the actor appears on the large collapsible lantern. The Lyon Collection owns four prints from this series by several artists.

Illustrated in color in Osaka Prints by Dean J. Schwaab, p. 130, #115.

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Hatsuharu no kotobuki iwau kokonobake (Nine changes for long-life in early spring: 初春寿九化) brought together a set of nine pieces for a single actor to showcase his skills in acting, recitation, and dance. It is an example of so-called hatsuharu kyōgen ("early spring plays" or "New Year's plays": 初春狂言).

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A question: We realize that Dean Scwaab and the Philadelphia Museum of Art have identified the kneeling figure as a Chinese Princess, but isn't it possible that she represents a celestial princess, especially because of the peaches which she is holding? In Chinese lore a celestial queen or princess is the keeper of an orchard that grows magical and marvelous peaches which according to legend can give the eater an extra 10,000 years or so - give or take a lot.
Onoe Tamizō II (二代目尾上多見蔵: 11/1820-1848; 1850-November, 1885) (actor)
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Kyōto-Osaka prints (kamigata-e - 上方絵) (genre)
Honya Seishichi (本屋清七) (publisher)
mitate-e (見立て絵) (genre)