Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
Matsumoto Kōshirō V (松本幸四郎) as a boatman (按摩取梶の長庵?) in the play Imaori Hakata no Irifune (新織博多縞入船)
07/1814
10.5 in x 15.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga
五渡亭国貞画
Publisher: Hagiwara
(Marks U059 - seal closest to 25-463)
Censor's seal: kiwame
Waseda University - the whole triptych
Kōshirō V performed in the play Imamori Hakata no Irifune at the Ichimuraza in 7/1814. He was acting along with Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as the smuggler Genkai Nadaemon (玄海灘右衛門) and Iwai Hanshirō V as Gyokuran onna. What can't be seen from just looking at this one print is the center panel to the right of it. The pole that Kōshirō is holding out is meant to help rescue a woman, an onnagata, who has fallen into the water. Also seen in that panel is the central part of the boat which is transporting melons, watermelons. The last panel not only shows the end of the boat, but it also shows an actor jumping down from the bridge. He has a broken rope hanging from around his neck with the other end of the rope still dangling from the bridge. These three panels must have had the middle and last one put together vertically.
The play was written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV (四代目鶴屋南北: 1755-1829).
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Matsumoto Kōshirō V (五代目松本幸四郎: 11/1801 to 5/1838) (actor)
Hagiwara (萩原) (publisher)
Tsuruya Nanboku IV (四代目鶴屋南北) (author)