Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (artist 11/15/1797 – 03/05/1861)
Cock (Tori - 酉): Sukune Tarō (宿禰太郎) from the series Mitate Jūnishi (Selections from the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac - 美盾十二史)
1845
9.875 in x 14.125 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga
一勇斎国芳画
Artist's seal: kiri
Publisher: Enshūya Matabei (Marks 057 - seal 22-009)
Censor's seal: Mura
British Museum
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Waseda University
National Diet Library
Honolulu Museum of Art - Natori Shunsen print of Sukune Tarō
British Museum - another print from this series: the tiger
British Museum - another print from this series: the hare
Lyon Collection - another print from this series: the horse
Museum of Oriental Art, Venice (via Ritsumeikan University)
Pushkin State Museum In Scene 4 of Act II of the puppet and later kabuki play, Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy Sukune Tarō and his father Hyōe plot the murder of Lord Sugawara. The Lord is planning on leaving the place where he is staying by palanquin carried and escorted by a trusted group of men. However, a group of assassins are planning on showing up earlier with their own palanquin, pretending to be the safe escorts. To fool Sugawara into going with them Hyōe has brought a white rooster which he plans on tricking into crowing before the dawn. He will do this by filling bamboo with boiling water and then placing the rooster on top of it. When the bird feels the warmth radiating through the bamboo it will think that it is morning and will crow hours earlier than normal.
That is the link here that Kuniyoshi has made between the seated figure of Sukune Tarō and this print in the series based on the signs of the Zodiac. In this case the cock (酉).
There is a wonderful print by Natori Shunsen of Sukune Tarō carrying the box with the white rooster in it. We have provided a link that print in the Honolulu Museum of Art above.
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Listed in Robinson S38 #10 p.125.
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There is another copy of this print in the Pushkin Museum.
Enshūya Matabei (遠州屋又兵衛) (publisher)
mitate-e (見立て絵) (genre)
Jūnishi (十二支 - 12 signs of the Zodiac) (genre)