Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (artist 11/15/1797 – 03/05/1861)
Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as the pirate Kezori Kuemon from the series Modern Style Set of the Provinces in Edo Brocade (Kōto nishiki imayō kuni zukushi - 江都錦今様国盡) - Bungo (豊後) and Hizen province (肥前)
08/1852
9.875 in x 14.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga
朝櫻樓国芳画
Artist's seal: kiri
Publisher: Mikawaya Kihei (Marks 326 - seal 12-047)
Date seal: 1852, 8th month
Censors' seals: Kinugasa and Murata
British Museum
Waseda University
National Diet Library
Lyon Collection - another print from this series "A set of at least thirty-six prints designed by Kuniyoshi in 1852 for the publisher Yamaguchiya Tōbei [and others]. Famous stories and heroes of different provinces are depicted two at a time."
Quoted from: Catalogue of the Collection of Japanese Prints - Part IV: Hiroshige and the Utagawa school, Rijksprentkabinet, 1984, p. 130.
The bottom half of this print represens Hizen province (肥前) with a woman with girls with umbrellas at the top representing Buzen province (豊前).
There is one other print from this series in the Lyon Collection. See #924. For more about this pirate go to another print in the Lyon Collection at: Kezori Kuemon
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The name of Hizen province can be found in the red cartouche in the upper right of the lower register near Kuemon's dragon robe. Bungo province (豊後) can be found in the corresponding red cartouche in the picture with all of the beautiful umbrellas.
The title cartouche along the right side of the upper register reads: 江都錦今様国尽 花見連中 毛そり九右衛門.
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If you click on the links to the British Museum example and the one at Waseda University you will see that the title cartouche is different in each one, indicating at least three different editions of this popular series.
mitate-e (見立て絵) (genre)
Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (七代目市川團十郎: 11/1800 to 2/1832) (actor)
Mikawaya Kihei (三河屋喜兵衛) (publisher)