Back
Back
  • The Flute - Matsumoto Kinshō I as Sumiyoshi no reijin Fujitarō (住吉の住人富士太郎) on the left, Nakamura Utaemon IV as Asama Saemon (浅間左エ門) in the center, and Onoe Baikō IV [尾上梅幸] as Umegae (梅ヶ枝) on the right from the play <i>Fukujukai Muryō Denki</i> [福聚海駒量伝記]
The Flute - Matsumoto Kinshō I as Sumiyoshi no reijin Fujitarō (住吉の住人富士太郎) on the left, Nakamura Utaemon IV as Asama Saemon (浅間左エ門) in the center, and Onoe Baikō IV [尾上梅幸] as Umegae (梅ヶ枝) on the right from the play <i>Fukujukai Muryō Denki</i> [福聚海駒量伝記]
The Flute - Matsumoto Kinshō I as Sumiyoshi no reijin Fujitarō (住吉の住人富士太郎) on the left, Nakamura Utaemon IV as Asama Saemon (浅間左エ門) in the center, and Onoe Baikō IV [尾上梅幸] as Umegae (梅ヶ枝) on the right from the play <i>Fukujukai Muryō Denki</i> [福聚海駒量伝記]
The Flute - Matsumoto Kinshō I as Sumiyoshi no reijin Fujitarō (住吉の住人富士太郎) on the left, Nakamura Utaemon IV as Asama Saemon (浅間左エ門) in the center, and Onoe Baikō IV [尾上梅幸] as Umegae (梅ヶ枝) on the right from the play <i>Fukujukai Muryō Denki</i> [福聚海駒量伝記]
Comments and Tags (0)
Share

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (artist 11/15/1797 – 03/05/1861)

The Flute - Matsumoto Kinshō I as Sumiyoshi no reijin Fujitarō (住吉の住人富士太郎) on the left, Nakamura Utaemon IV as Asama Saemon (浅間左エ門) in the center, and Onoe Baikō IV [尾上梅幸] as Umegae (梅ヶ枝) on the right from the play Fukujukai Muryō Denki [福聚海駒量伝記]

Print

04/1847
9.75 in x 14 in (Overall dimensions) woodblock print
Signed: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga
一勇斎国芳画
Artist's seal: kiri in red - on left and right sheets only
Publisher: Yahataya Sakujirō (Marks 581 - seal 02-060)
Censor seals: Mera and Watanabe
Hankyu Culture Foundation - right panel
Hankyu Culture Foundation - center panel
Hankyu Culture Foundation - left panel
Lyon Collection - panel showing Hidari Jingorō
Japan Arts Council/National Theater of Japan The costumes of these three figures are particularly lush and interesting. For example, the robes worn by Umegae on the right-hand panel are dazzling. Even though this triptych was created in 1847 her robes border on the mid-20th century images of op-art. In fact, the use of the mitsu tomoe motif is almost psychedelic. Those circles with the three comma shapes, which are so symbolic to the Japanese, look a bit like large lollipops, but as actually stand-ins for the water buckets used on a watermill. Look at them closely.

The figure on the left is wearing an outer robe decorated with wisteria flowers. Toyokuni III also illustrated this same character in 1847 also wearing a kimono decorated with wisteria. However, the one thing that makes the Kuniyoshi image more striking is the presence of golden colored koi.

****

The character of Chidori (aka Umegae) was created for the puppet theater in 1739 for a play called Hiragana seisuiki which is set in 12th century during the Genpei wars. After that the name of Umegae was up for grabs to be included in plays that deal with this beautiful tragic figure.

****

A kabuki scene at night under flowering cherry trees, with a bijin playing a yokobue (横笛) or transverse flute.

Ex B. W. Robinson collection.

****

The Japan Arts Council is the source for the names of the actors in this triptych, because only the roles are identified. However, if we are to accept the information provided them - and we have no reason not to - then we have a jumping off point to look more deeply into the history of these characters. We have chosen to start with the courtesan in the elegant robe, Umegae. (Note that B.W. Robinson didn't identify the roles, either.)

Shunshō in ca. 1780 and Kunisada in 1847, among others, gave us dramatic representations of Umegae which at first glance do not have a clear connection with the courtesan in this Kuniyoshi triptych, but they probably do.

We have added a jpeg to this page of a Kunisada representation of Umegae standing before a background of a jōruri script. Sebastian Izzard wrote in Kunisada's World on page 131 of this image: "The play...Hiragana seisuiki, written for jōruri by Matsuda Bunkodō and Miyoshi Shōraku and was first performed at the Takemoto theater during the fourth month of 1739. Set during the Gempei wars of the late 12th century, it has a complex plot full of mistaken identity, betrayal, defeat and lost causes. A subplot involves the love affair between Kajiwara Genta Kagesue and chidori, a young maid of the Kajiwara family, who sells herself to a brothel under the name Umegae in order to support her lover. The fourth act, the Bell of Muken scene, is set in Umegae's brothel. Genta has borrowed 300 gold pieces in order to finance his marital ambitions. Now, defeated in battle, he has trouble repaying the loan. Umegae recalls a legendary bell which, when struck, will provide riches. Genta, with no bell to hand, strikes a stone water basin, and the needed money miraculously appears (in fact, it is dropped from the floor above by Genta's mother who is hiding there.)"

"The young woman holding a letter represents Umegae. Her long-sleeved kimono is decorated with a flowering cherry-blossom design..."

[This triptych appears to be closely linked to the story of Hidari Jingorō. (See Lyon Collection #1028.)]
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Yahataya Sakujirō (八幡屋作次郎) (publisher)
Onoe Baikō IV (四代目尾上梅幸: from 1/1846 to 8/1855) (actor)
Nakamura Utaemon IV (四代目中村歌右衛門: 1/1836-2/1852) (actor)
Matsumoto Kinshō I (松本錦升: from 11/1846 to 11/1849) (actor)