The Five Seasonal Festivals - September

Category

Library Item

Item no

334

Title

Untitled series referencing The Five Seasonal Festivals, September - 9th Month (Go sekku no uchi)

Description

Actor portrait of Nakamura Utaemon IV and Seki Sanjuro III. The characters depicted are from the dance drama 'Momijigari' ('The Maple Viewing Party'). The demonic horned female character, Kijo, is shown attacking Taira Koremochi in order to acquire his sword, the Kogarasumaru. Kijo first appears to Koremochi as the beautiful Princess Sarashina, who cunningly offers him rice wine and performs a series of dances in order to lull him to sleep. Fortunately, in his dreams Koresmochi is warned of the danger and awakes just in time to slay the demon.
Their Kabuki makeup (kumadori) is used to indicate their differing roles - red is generally used to identify heroic characters and blue is used for villainous and supernatural figures. The blue and white triangular pattern of her costume is supposed to represent scales.

Artist / maker

Kunisada I (Toyokuni III)

Date

1849

Size

35.5 x 24 cm.

Type

Wood cut

Location

Art and Design Library

The following information appears on the print:

Signed: Ichiyosai Toyokuni ga
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Censor's seals: Watanabe and Kinugasa (1849 - 1850)

This print is from a series that celebrated the 5 seasonal festivals of the year ('Go sekku'). This print may be linked to the 'Chrysanthemum Festival' (Choyo) which took place on the ninth day of the ninth month.
It is thought that this print is one of a series of five (three are in the Dyer Collection). This series is very similar to a series by Utagawa Kuniyoshi that is titled the 'Five Festivals'. In these two similar series many of the costumes and theatrical roles are similar although the actors performing the roles differ.
Another Kunisada print inspired by the Momijigari story (printed in black and brown inks) exists in Perth Art Museum and Gallery's collection of Japanese art.

This is one of a set of 50 prints donated to Edinburgh City Libraries by Marie Ferguson Dyer in honour of her father Henry Dyer. Dyer was a Scottish engineer who became the first Principal of the Imperial College of Engineering in Tokyo in 1872.

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