Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) (artist 04/30/1839 – 06/09/1892)
Hakoōmaru (箱王丸) and Hachiman Shichirō (八幡七郎) from the series Tales of the Floating World in Eastern Brocade (Azuma nishiki ukiyo kōdan - 東錦浮世稿談)
1867
9.5 in x 14.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi ga
一魁斎芳年画
Publisher: Ōmiya Kyūjirō
(Marks 415 - seal 30-034)
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
National Institute of Japanese Literature
Ritsumeikan University Hakoōmaru (箱王丸) was the youthful name of Soga no Gorō Tokimune (曾我五郎時致). Ichimanmaru, his younger brother, grew up to be Soga no Jurō.
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"Rough tales of the floating world told on eastern brocades (Azuma nishiki ukiyo kōdan) is a complex series in its content and in the interpretation of the meaning of the series title. In the past, little effort has been made to further our understanding of the term kōdan (稿談) in the title which, when written with different homophonic characters, refers to the tradition of story telling (講談). 'Story telling' is a central element in the set, since the series title in each print is followed by the name of a well-known raconteur (kōdan-shi) from the late Edo and early Meiji periods. The character used for kō in the title kōdan connotes 'rough', 'sketchy' or 'unpolished', as in a 'rough manuscript' or 'rough version'."
Quoted from: Yoshitoshi: Masterpieces from the Ed Freis Collection, page 89.
"This set was issued from 9/1867-2/1868. Forty-five designs from this series are presently known... The set is unusual for its collaboration between seven different publishers. It is quite rare and was never re-published." (Ibid.) [The choice of bold type is ours.]
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The text reads: 河津かはつが胤たねの蝌斗子たまじやくし。箱根はこねの湖水こすいに成長ひとゝなり。手足てあしの生しやうするころよりも。父ちゝの仇あだたる蒼蛇くちなはを睍ねらふ宿意しゆくい の失うせやらぬは。彼かの合戦たゝかひをいどむに似にたり。勇勢ゆうせいすこぶる 兄あににこへ猛気もうきおさ／＼父祖ふそにおとらず。敵てきの刺客しかく 八幡やわたの七郎。箱王丸はこわうまるが行中きやうちうをうたんとせしを そが孝道かうだうにかんたんして。却かへつて箱王はこわうに 討うたれたり 填詞 仮名垣魯文記
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The text is by Kanagaki Robun (仮名垣魯文: 1829-94). This author's words are also found on prints by two other artists in the Lyon Collection: Yoshiiku and Kunisada.
Ōmiya Kyūjirō (近江屋久次郎) (publisher)
Kanagaki Robun (仮名垣魯文) (author)
Soga brothers (曾我兄弟) (author)