Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
Ichimura Uzaemon XII (市村羽左衛門) as Saitōgo Kunitake (斎藤吾国武) and Seki Sanjūrō II (関三十郎) as the samurai Goto Hyōe Morinaga (後藤兵衛盛長) in the play Itsukushima sugata no utsushi-e (巌島姿写絵)
11/1824
9.5 in x 14.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock prints
Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga
五渡亭国貞画
Publisher: Ōmiya Heihachi (Marks 413 - seal 01-108)
Censor's seal: kiwame
Waseda University This play was performed at the Ichimura Theater in Edo in the 7th month of 1824. Saitōgo was a figure in the Heike monogatari and the play Itsukushima sugata no utsushi-e was Heike related. (JSV)
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In Chapter 13 of the The Tale of Heike we meet Saitōgo, age 19, and his younger brother Saitō Roku, the sons of Nagai-no-Saitō Bettō Sanemori. These young men are in the train of Chūjō Koremori. When Koremori left the capital the brothers wanted to go with him, but he instructed them to stay behind to protect Rokudai, Koremori's son.
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In Chapter 9 of the The Tale of Heike Gotōbyōe Morinaga is described as the "foster brother" of Taira Shigehira, the son of Kiyomori. Shigehira (1158-85) had led a group of warriors into battle at Ichi-no-tani in 1184, but only he and Morinaga survived to try to make their escape. Kajiwara Genda Katsue and Shō no Shirō Takaie spotted Shigehira and chased him. After a spirited pursuit "...Kagesue stood in his stirrups, drew his bow to the full, and sent an arrow into the distance, hoping for a lucky hit." The arrow went into the rump of the magnificent horse that Shigehira was riding. No longer able to continue his escape Shigehira rode into the water, but it was too shallow for him to drown himself. Instead he chose to commit seppuku, but was stopped and captured before he could do this. Morinaga, in the meantime, was supposed to have stayed by Shigehira's side and should have planned his own suicide at the same time.
"What are you doing, Morinaga? This is not the way you always swore to act. Where do you intend to go after forsaking me?" Shigehira said. Morinaga pretended not to hear; he discarded his red armor-badge and rode off as fast as he could."
We don't know exactly the role Morinaga is playing in this print in the Lyon Collection, but the audience would have known the shame attached to this figure.
Seki Sanjūrō II (二代目関三十郎: 11/1807-2/1839) (actor)
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Ōmiya Heihachi (近江屋平八) (publisher)
Ichimura Uzaemon XII (十二代目市村羽左衛門: 11/1821 to 12/1850) (actor)