The kabuki actor Bando Mitsugoro III as Minamoto no Yorimasa, by Utagawa Kunisada

An image of The kabuki actor Bandô Mitsugorô III as Minamoto no Yorimasa. From a set of three spring kyôka surimono, probably made for the year of the dragon 1820. Kunisada, Utagawa (Japanese, 1786-1865). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing (karazuri). Shikishi-ban. Signed: Kunisada ga. 1820. Ukiyo-e. Notes: The prints form a triptych of the killing of the Nue (night monster), a scene which appeared in plays performed by the Danjûrô school and derived from the warrior chronicles Heike monogatari and Gempei seisuiki. In 1153 the Emperor sent Minamoto no Yorimasa to discover the cause of the terrible cries that disturbed him every night. As Minamoto waited at night with his henchman I no Hayata, a black cloud appeared from the forest, and when Yorimasa fired an arrow a creature with the head of a monkey, the body of a badger, the tail of a serpent and the legs of a tiger, fell from the cloud, and was killed by I no Hayata. As these three actors did not appear in these roles in 1819, the set is probably a mitate, or ‘imaginary grouping’, rather than a record of an actual production.

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The kabuki actor Bandô Mitsugorô III as Minamoto no Yorimasa. From a set of three spring kyôka surimono, probably made for the year of the dragon 1820. Kunisada, Utagawa (Japanese, 1786-1865). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing (karazuri). Shikishi-ban. Signed: Kunisada ga. 1820. Ukiyo-e. Notes: The prints form a triptych of the killing of the Nue (night monster), a scene which appeared in plays performed by the Danjûrô school and derived from the warrior chronicles Heike monogatari and Gempei seisuiki. In 1153 the Emperor sent Minamoto no Yorimasa to discover the cause of the terrible cries that disturbed him every night. As Minamoto waited at night with his henchman I no Hayata, a black cloud appeared from the forest, and when Yorimasa fired an arrow a creature with the head of a monkey, the body of a badger, the tail of a serpent and the legs of a tiger, fell from the cloud, and was killed by I no Hayata. As these three actors did not appear in these roles in 1819, the set is probably a mitate, or ‘imaginary grouping’, rather than a record of an actual production.

Image data

Accession Number: P.57-1938
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Photographer name: Image Library; Fitzwilliam Museum
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 897 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 1.38MB

Key words

19th Century acting actor actors blind embossing colour printing costume creature creatures embossed embossing Fitz_PDP gofun Japanese kabuki karazuri Kunisada kyoka verse legendary creatures metallic pigment monster monsters mythical creature Nue performance performer performing pigment poetry poets print robes role Shikishiban Spring surimono theatre theatrical triptych ukiyo-e Utagawa Kunisada verses woodblock woodcut

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            "The kabuki actor Bando Mitsugoro III as Minamoto no Yorimasa, by Utagawa Kunisada"
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