• A <i>mitate</i> of one of the 'four social classes' of the <i>shinōkōshō</i> (士農工商) Seki Sanjūrō III as Katsura Matsunoshin (三蓋松之進) in the back right, Bandō Shuka I as Katsumi no Kohide (勝見の小秀) in the center and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Uraume no Kozue (裏梅の梢) from the play <i> O megumi ni Urūō Iwafuji </i> [恵閏初夏藤]
A <i>mitate</i> of one of the 'four social classes' of the <i>shinōkōshō</i> (士農工商) Seki Sanjūrō III as Katsura Matsunoshin (三蓋松之進) in the back right, Bandō Shuka I as Katsumi no Kohide (勝見の小秀) in the center and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Uraume no Kozue (裏梅の梢) from the play <i> O megumi ni Urūō Iwafuji </i> [恵閏初夏藤]
A <i>mitate</i> of one of the 'four social classes' of the <i>shinōkōshō</i> (士農工商) Seki Sanjūrō III as Katsura Matsunoshin (三蓋松之進) in the back right, Bandō Shuka I as Katsumi no Kohide (勝見の小秀) in the center and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Uraume no Kozue (裏梅の梢) from the play <i> O megumi ni Urūō Iwafuji </i> [恵閏初夏藤]
A <i>mitate</i> of one of the 'four social classes' of the <i>shinōkōshō</i> (士農工商) Seki Sanjūrō III as Katsura Matsunoshin (三蓋松之進) in the back right, Bandō Shuka I as Katsumi no Kohide (勝見の小秀) in the center and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Uraume no Kozue (裏梅の梢) from the play <i> O megumi ni Urūō Iwafuji </i> [恵閏初夏藤]
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Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (artist 11/15/1797 – 03/05/1861)

A mitate of one of the 'four social classes' of the shinōkōshō (士農工商) Seki Sanjūrō III as Katsura Matsunoshin (三蓋松之進) in the back right, Bandō Shuka I as Katsumi no Kohide (勝見の小秀) in the center and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Uraume no Kozue (裏梅の梢) from the play O megumi ni Urūō Iwafuji [恵閏初夏藤]

Print

04/1849
10 in x 14 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga
一勇斎国芳画
Artist's seal: kiri
Publisher: Daikokuya Heikichi (Marks 029 - seal 01-092)
Censor seals: Hama and Magome
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - the same three figures
Tokyo Metropolitan Library - these 3 characters, 2 of them neck wrestling (kubihiki)
British Museum - another print with these characters A full understanding of this print escapes us at this time, but we do know several things. The reference to shinōkōshō (士農工商) represents the hierarchy of the various traditional and accepted classes of Japanese society: the shi (士) represent the warrior or samurai class; nō (農) the farmers; kō (工) the craftsmen; and shō (商) the merchants.
Daikokuya Heikichi (大黒屋平吉) (publisher)
comic prints (giga - 戯画 / kyōga - 狂画) (genre)
mitate-e (見立て絵) (author)