Nakamura Utaemon III (中村歌右衛門) as Kanawa Gorō Imakuni (金輪五郎今国) and Arashi Koroku IV (嵐小六) as Omiwa (おみわ) in <i>Imoseyama Onna Teikin</i> [妹背山婦女庭訓 - <i>Mount Imo and Mount Se:An Exemplary Tale of Womanly</i>] (state 3)
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Shunkōsai Hokushū (春好斎北洲) (artist ca 1808 – 1832)

Nakamura Utaemon III (中村歌右衛門) as Kanawa Gorō Imakuni (金輪五郎今国) and Arashi Koroku IV (嵐小六) as Omiwa (おみわ) in Imoseyama Onna Teikin [妹背山婦女庭訓 - Mount Imo and Mount Se:An Exemplary Tale of Womanly] (state 3)

Print

03/11/1821
10 in x 14.75 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print

Signed: Shunkōsai Hokushū ga (春好斎北洲画)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Lyon Collection - second state
Lyon Collection - first state
National Museum of Asian Art - example with bluish-gray ground Roger Keyes in The Theatrical World of Osaka Prints wrote on page 74: "Act IV of Imoseyama is a domestic subplot. Omiwa, the daughter of a sake seller, falls in love with the son of Kamatari, one of the leaders of the anti-Soga party. When he refuses to reveal his identity, she attaches a spool of thread to his cloak and follows him, winding the reel. Her lover is following an unidentified princess with the same device, and all finally find themselves at Iruka's palace. Omiwa is noticed by one of Kamatari's subjects, Kanawa Gorō, who is loitering nearby disguised as Fukashichi, the fisherman. He stabs her. As she dies, he reveals that her lover was a courtier and that she will now be helping him to overthrow Iruka. Fukashichi then mixes her blood with the blood of a black-toed deer and smears it on his magic flute, making it possible to recover a certain Sacred Sword from Iruka at last, and sap his power."

Keyes continues: "The illustration showing the confrontation between Omiwa and Fukashichi at the palace, is one of masterpieces of Osaka printmaking. There are at least three states of the print. The first, reproduced here, is printed with gold ground, and silver and copper pigments; it bears a seal after the signature. The second has a blue ground, blue spots on Utaemon's armor, and a yellow rope pattern. The third lacks the blue block; its background, spots, rope, chin, and hair are uncolored; the stripes on Koruku's kimono seem wider, and the overall effect is less coarse than the above. This print, as well as the two previous bust portraits, could very well have been engraved by Kasuke."
Nakamura Utaemon III (三代目中村歌右衛門: from 1790 to 2/1818 and again 10/1819 to 1826 and once again 1826 to 1/1836) (actor)
Arashi Koroku IV (四代目嵐小六: from 11/1817 to 11/1826) (actor)
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Kyōto-Osaka prints (kamigata-e - 上方絵) (genre)