Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
Nakamura Utaemon IV as Hidari Jingorō from the triptych The Old Story of the Renowned Sculptor Hidari Jingorō (Sono mukashi Hidari Jingorō ga meiyo no furugoto - 名誉乃奮事)
04/1847
10 in x 14 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Hanmoto no ōju Toyokuni ga
梓元乃應需豊国画
Artist's seal: toshidama
Publisher: Yamamotoya Heikichi
(Marks 595 - seal 04-007)
Censor seals: Muramatsu and Yoshimura
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - the full triptych
Waseda University
British Museum - the full triptych
Hankyu Culture Foundation
Waseda University - the center panel
Waseda University - right hand panel
Honolulu Museum of Art - the full triptych This image is from the play Toki no hina Asakusa hakkei performed at the Kawarazaki-za in 4/1847. This print is from the scene which is the grand finale. The playwright was Sakurada Jisuke III (1802-77).
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There is the full triptych in the Victoria and Albert Museum, but it is no longer available online.
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The curatorial files at the British Museum say: "The kabuki actors (from left) Nakamura Utaemon IV as the sculptor Hidari Jingoro, Onoe Baiko IV as the life-size doll of a courtesan (‘Oyama ningyo’) emerging from a large wooden box, and Arashi Koroku V as Jingoro’s wife Otsuya, in the dance ‘Shiki no hina Asakusa hakkei’ (時翫雛浅草八景), (alternate reading ‘Toki no hina Asakusa hakkei’ , commonly called ‘Kyo ningyo’) (京人形), by Sakurada Jisuke III; performed at the Kawarasaki-za in the 4th month of 1847 (Koka 4)."
Yamamotoya Heikichi (山本屋平吉) (publisher)
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Nakamura Utaemon IV (四代目中村歌右衛門: 1/1836-2/1852) (actor)
Hidari Jingorō (左甚五郎) (role)