• Ichikawa Ebijūrō II (市川鰕十郎) as Horiguchi Manemon (堀口万右衛門) - the right panel of a triptych from the play <i>Sao no uta Kizugawa hakkei </i>(<i>Song of the boat pole</i>: <i>Eight views of the Kizu River</i> - 棹歌木津川八景)
Ichikawa Ebijūrō II (市川鰕十郎) as Horiguchi Manemon (堀口万右衛門) - the right panel of a triptych from the play <i>Sao no uta Kizugawa hakkei </i>(<i>Song of the boat pole</i>: <i>Eight views of the Kizu River</i> - 棹歌木津川八景)
Ichikawa Ebijūrō II (市川鰕十郎) as Horiguchi Manemon (堀口万右衛門) - the right panel of a triptych from the play <i>Sao no uta Kizugawa hakkei </i>(<i>Song of the boat pole</i>: <i>Eight views of the Kizu River</i> - 棹歌木津川八景)
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Shunshosai Hokuchō (春曙斎北頂) (artist )

Ichikawa Ebijūrō II (市川鰕十郎) as Horiguchi Manemon (堀口万右衛門) - the right panel of a triptych from the play Sao no uta Kizugawa hakkei (Song of the boat pole: Eight views of the Kizu River - 棹歌木津川八景)

Print

07/1829
10.25 in x 15.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Shunshosai Hokuchō ga
春曙斎北頂画
Publisher: Honya Seishichi
(Marks 123 - seal 25-527)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - the full triptych
Tokyo Metropolitan Library
Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen, Leiden via Ritsumeikan University
Hankyu Culture Foundation
Lyon Collection - another copy of this print This image commemorates a performance of the drama Sao no Uta Kizugawa Hakkei at the Kado Theater 1829/7.

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Illustrated:

1) in Ikeda Bunko, Kamigata yakusha-e shūsei, vol. 2, Osaka, 1998, No 198.

2) in black and white in Andon 29, Spring, 1988, fig. 1, p. 86. The full triptych is illustrated here.

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Notice that the main figure, Ebijūrō II, in the front, is wearing a garment that is decorated with stylized gourds among leaves and tendrils. This same outfit appears on Manemon in a diptych by Kunihiro and Shigenao. This costume hides a more subtle message in plain sight: the gourd is made up of the stylized characters for Ebijūrō's family name - Ichikawa (市川).

The nature of the outfits in the whole triptych would indicate that this nighttime battle is taking place during warm weather - probably summertime. Not visible here are the other parts of the triptych. The dominant fellow, a ferryman, in the left-hand panel is using a large wooden oar or tiller to subdue his opponent.

Although we know the name of the play we do not know the story line. However, we do know that it was written by the Osaka-born playwright Namiki Gohei I (1747-1808) and premiered in 7/1778.

This print is from Ebijūrō II's last performance in 1829. He played the villain and fell ill during this time dying 11 months later, having never returned to the stage.
Honya Seishichi (本屋清七) (publisher)
Arashi Rikan II (二代目嵐璃寛: 9/1828 - 6/1837) (actor)
Kyōto-Osaka prints (kamigata-e - 上方絵) (genre)
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Ichikawa Ebijūrō II (二代目市川鰕十郎: from 11/1828 to 11/24/29) (actor)