''Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai'' is an ''

ukiyo-e Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk t ...

'' woodblock print dating to around 1801 by

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...

artist

Utagawa Toyokuni I Utagawa Toyokuni ( ja, 歌川豊国; 1769 in Edo – 24 February 1825 in Edo), also often referred to as Toyokuni I, to distinguish him from the members of his school who took over his ''gō'' (art-name) after he died, was a great mast ...

. Featuring two of the most prominent actors of the day as characters in a contemporary

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is though ...

drama, it is a classic example of the ''kabuki-e'' or ''

yakusha-e ''Yakusha-e'' (役者絵), often referred to as "actor prints" in English, are Japanese woodblock prints or, rarely, paintings, of kabuki actors, particularly those done in the '' ukiyo-e'' style popular through the Edo period (1603–1867) an ...

'' genre. The print is part of the permanent collection of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada.

Toyokuni and kabuki

Utagawa Toyokuni (歌川豐國), also known as Toyokuni I, was the second head of the

Utagawa school The Utagawa school () was one of the main schools of ukiyo-e, founded by Utagawa Toyoharu. It was the largest ukiyo-e school of its period. The main styles were bijin-ga (beautiful women) and uki-e (perspective picture). His pupil, Toyokuni I, too ...

, and one of the most influential print-makers of the Edo period. From early adolescence, he apprenticed with Utagawa Toyoharu, studying the style of his mentor, as well as those of Chōbunsai Eishi,

Utamaro Kitagawa Utamaro ( ja, 喜多川歌麿; – 31 October 1806) was a Japanese artist. He is one of the most highly regarded designers of ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings, and is best known for his '' bijin ōkubi-e'' "large-heade ...

and

Eishōsai Chōki Eishōsai Chōki ( ja, 栄松斎長喜), also known as Momokawa Chōki, was a designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints who was active from about 1786 to 1808. He, along with Utamaro, was a pupil of Toriyama Sekien (1712–1788). Ch ...

. Although his initial attempts met with failure, Toyokuni achieved commercial success in 1786 with illustrations for the ''

kibyōshi is a genre of produced during the middle of the Edo period (1603–1867), from 1775 to the early 19th century. Physically identifiable by their yellow-backed covers, were typically printed in 10 page volumes, many spanning two to three volumes ...

'' novelette ''Tsugamonai hanashi no oyadama'' (無束話親玉). He soon discovered his niches: ''

bijinga is a generic term for pictures of beautiful women () in Japanese art, especially in woodblock printing of the ukiyo-e genre. Definition defines as a picture that simply "emphasizes the beauty of women", and the ''Shincho Encyclopedia of ...

'' and, more significantly, ''

''. Between 1794 and 1796, he created a series of prints entitled ''Yakusha butai no sugata-e'' ("Portraits of Actors in Various Roles" - 役者舞台の姿絵), which earned him "rapid recognition," and "marked the peak of his creative work." Toyokuni befriended prominent actors, and the "overwhelming majority" of his prints relate to kabuki. Toyokuni's style is admired for its "powerful and vivid lines," "striking color contrasts," "decorative bombast," and "bold, taut designs." He is credited with the innovation of polytych formats, and with training many prominent pupils, including future masters Kunisada and

Kuniyoshi Kuniyoshi (written: 国吉 or 國吉) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Fumio Kuniyoshi (国吉史生, born 1985), Japanese-German rapper *, Japanese footballer *, American painter and photographer *, Japanese bas ...

. Toyokuni is often compared with

Sharaku Tōshūsai Sharaku ( ja, 東洲斎写楽; active 1794–1795) was a Japanese ukiyo-e print designer, known for his portraits of kabuki actors. Neither his true name nor the dates of his birth or death are known. His active career as a woodbloc ...

, an artist active during 1794 who specialized in ''yakusha-e''. While Sharaku favoured an exaggerated, stylized approach, Toyokuni's depictions are more realistic, capturing actors "as they appear on stage" and idealizing them. His ''kabuki-e'' were more popular with contemporary audiences than those of his rival; however, modern critics tend to credit Sharaku with greater artistic acuity. Toyokuni was highly prolific, and, by 1800, the Utagawa school had supplanted the Katsukawa as the major producers of ''kabuki-e''. His success appears to have come at a price, however, as the consensus is that the quality of his later work "shows a marked decline," and even "degenerated frequently into sheer grotesquerie." Some also contend Toyokuni's talent was "predominantly imitative," more the product of study than "intuitive genius."

''Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai''

Genre

An image of two actors posing as characters from a play, this print belongs to the ''kabuki-e'' (歌舞伎絵) genre, also known as ''shibai-e'' (芝居絵), ''gekijou-e'' (劇場絵), ''gekiga'' (劇画). Literally 'kabuki pictures', ''kabuki-e'' began to be produced in the late 17th century. As kabuki grew in popularity, audiences became increasingly interested in the actors. The emergence of star actors led to ''yakusha-e'' (役者絵), a subgenre of ''kabuki-e'' in which actors were depicted individually or, as in this print, in pairs. These images appeared as single-sheet prints or in books of actor prints called ''yakusha ehon'' (役者絵本).

Image

In this print, Toyokuni depicts a tableau of two of the most popular kabuki actors of the day in a scene from an unidentified play. The character in the foreground is a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

. He wears ''

waraji () are light tie-on sandals, made from (usually straw) ropemaking fibers, that were the standard footwear of the common people in Japan. Use resemble other forms of traditional Japanese footwear, such as zori and geta, with a few key diffe ...

'' straw sandals, a casual black ''eboshi'' cap, and a two-piece '' kamishimo'' under a black ''

haori The is a traditional Japanese hip- or thigh-length jacket worn over a kimono. Resembling a shortened kimono with no overlapping front panels (), the typically features a thinner collar than that of a kimono, and is sewn with the addition of ...

'' coat. The handles of his two swords peak out behind him on the left, the customary position. His red ''

kumadori is the stage makeup worn by kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by ...

'' makeup is typical of main characters, signifying "bravado and a forceful personality." Hanging down over his right knee is a handful of wheat or rice stalks, which are presumably an element of the drama. The standing figure is in typical pilgrim or travelling priest garb: ''waraji'', a grey robe, and light-coloured leggings and arm covers. In addition, he wears a gong around his waist and carries a ''shakujō'' (錫杖) pilgrim's staff. Behind him, the body and straps of a portable shrine are just visible. Heroes and their foes disguising themselves as pilgrims is a popular kabuki motif. The character's aggressive pose—right arm removed from his robe, menacing facial expression—indicates that he is likely not a benign pilgrim.

Play

Beyond the names of two of the actors involved, there is very little in this print to identify the play it documents. Although some ''kabuki-e'' and ''yakusha-e'' include character or play names, this print offers neither. In addition, having no date stamp or censor seal makes it difficult to identify the play by date. Records of Edo period kabuki reveal that early in 1798 Yaozō and Omezō appeared together in the play "Tomioka koi no yamabiraki" (also known as "Ninin Shimbei"). Extant images by Toyokuni known to be from this performance—including one featuring Yaozō—however, are very different in style and format from the ROM's print. In 1803, Yaozō is known to have appeared in Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura, a drama featuring priest and monk characters. As the cast list has been lost, it is unknown whether Omezō also appeared. One Toyokuni print of Yaozō from this play is done in a similar style as the ROM's print, however, the costume is quite different. Ichikawa Yaozo kaemon crest

Ichikawa Yaozō III

Both the name cartouche in the upper left-hand corner and the ''kaemon'' (替紋) personal crest appearing on the kimono arms of the crouching figure in the foreground identify him as Ichikawa Yaozō III (市川八百蔵) (1747–1818). Yaozō, whose professional debut was in 1760, came from a family of kabuki performers. He trained with two very different masters: celebrated ''

onnagata (also ) are male actors who play female roles in kabuki theatre. History The modern all-male kabuki was originally known as ("male kabuki") to distinguish it from earlier forms. In the early 17th century, shortly after the emergence of the g ...

'' (female role actor) Segawa Kikunojō II, and ''

aragoto , or 'rough style', is a style of kabuki acting that uses exaggerated, dynamic (forms or movements) and speech. roles are characterised by the bold red or blue makeup () worn by actors, as well as their enlarged and padded costumes. The term i ...

'' ('rough style') master Ichikawa Danjūrō V. He was particularly admired for his performance of ''wajitsu'' (calm, clever male hero) roles, and for his portrayal of young women. He appears in several prints by Toyokuni, as well as in prints by Katsukawa Shunkō,

Katsukawa Shun'ei Katsukawa Shun'ei ( ja, 勝川春英; 1762 – 13 December 1819) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist. Shun'ei's real surname was Isoda (), and his father was a landlord named Isoda Jirōbei (). Shun'ei belonged to the Katsukawa school of artist ...

and

Ichikawa Omezō I

According to the name cartouche, the standing figure is Ichikawa Omezō I (市川男女蔵) (1781-1833), the first actor in a line of 6 generations continuing to the present day. He specialized in dramatic male '' tachiyaku'' (立役) and in ''jitsuaku'' (実悪) evil warrior roles. Not surprisingly, given his stature as a kabuki star, he was a popular subject for Toyokuni. One of his most famous portraits is Toyokuni's of him in the famous drama ''

Shibaraku ''Shibaraku'' (暫, しばらく) is a play in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'' ("Eighteen Great Plays"). The play is noted for its flamboyantly dramatic costumes and makeup (''kumadori''). {{citation need ...

Date

The ROM labels the print as c. 1801. Although the print has no discernible date or censor seals, Several factors indicate that the print most likely dates to between 1800 and 1804: * Toyokuni began working with printer Iseya Magobei in 1795, and did a series of "oblong prints of actor pairs" for the publisher in the early 1800s * Ichikawa Yaozō III took the name Suketakaya Takasuke II in 1804 and ceased to be known as Ichikawa Yaozō

Provenance

The print was donated to the ROM by Sir Edmund Walker (1848–1924), long-time president of the

Canadian Bank of Commerce The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank which was founded in 1867, and had hundreds of branches throughout Canada. It merged in 1961 with the Imperial Bank of Canada to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. History In 1866 a ...

and first Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the ROM. Walker began collecting Japanese art in the 1870s, making him one of the earliest North American collectors. He bought many pieces in New York in the 1870s and '80s, and during a trip to London in 1909. In 1919, after travelling to Japan, China and Korea, he was named Honorary Consul-General of Japan for Toronto.

Print details

* Medium: ''

nishiki-e is a type of Japanese multi-coloured woodblock printing; the technique is used primarily in ukiyo-e. It was invented in the 1760s, and perfected and popularized by the printmaker Suzuki Harunobu, who produced many ''nishiki-e'' prints between 17 ...

'' woodblock print on paper * Size: ''chūban'' * Format: ''tate-e'' * Japanese title: none * Exhibit title: ''Ichikawa Omezō as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozō as a Samurai'' * Subject: scene from an unspecified kabuki play * Signature: Toyokuni ga (豊国画), left centre edge * Publisher: Iseya Magobei (伊勢屋孫兵衛)Newland 2005, 570-571 * Publisher's mark: Isemago/ Iseson, below signature * Censor seal: none * Date seal: none * Genre: ''yakusha-e'', ''kabuki-e'' * Credit line: Gift of Sir Edmund Walker

Notes

References

* Calza, Gian Carlo. ''Ukiyo-e.'' New York: PHaidon Press, 2005. * Chiappa, J. Noel. "Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825)." 2013. Accessed September 24, 2013. http://mercury.lcs.mit.edu/~jnc/prints/toyokuni.html * Clark, Timothy, Osamu Ueda and Donald Jenkins. ''The Actor's Image: Print Makers of the Katsukawa School.'' Edited by Naomi Noble Richard. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1994. * Encyclopædia Britannica. "Utagawa Toyokuni." Accessed September 23, 2013. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/620514/Utagawa-Toyokuni * JAANUS. "Kabuki-e." Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. 2001. Accessed October 4, 2013. http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/ * JAANUS. "Yakusha-e." Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. 2001. Accessed October 4, 2013. http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/ * Jlearn.net. "Eboshi." Accessed October 4, 2013. http://jlearn.net/Dictionary/Browse/1171580-%E7%83%8F%E5%B8%BD%E5%AD%90-%E3%81%88%E3%81%BC%E3%81%97 * Lane, Richard. ''Images from the Floating World of the Japanese Print.'' New York: Konecky & Konecky, 1978. * Marks, Andreas. ''Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900.'' Tokyo: Tuttle, 2010. * Newland, Amy Reigle. Ed. ''Hotei Encyclopedia of Woodblock Prints'', vol. 2., 2003. * Percival, Robert. ''Ukiyo-e: Art for the People''. Saint John, New Brunswick: MacMillan Press, 1978. * Ring, Jessica. "Traditional Kabuki Makeup Tutorial." TypeF. Aug 26, 2011. Accessed October 1, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025053741/http://www.typef.com/article/traditional-kabuki-makeup-tutorial/#ixzz2fg3XUIEY * Samurai Archives. "Samurai Clothing." Accessed October 1, 2013. http://www.samurai-archives.com/clothing.html * Sekai daihyakka jiten 2nd ed. ��界大百科事典第２版"Utagawa Toyokuni" ��たがわとよくに歌川豊国 Kotobank.jp. Accessed September 24, 2013. http://kotobank.jp/word/歌川豊国 * Schumacher, Mark. "Objects, Symbols, and Weapons Held by 1000-Armed Kannon & Other Buddhist Deities." 2011. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/objects-symbols-weapons-senju.html * Shōriya, Aragorō. "Suketakaya Takasuke II." Kabuki 21. 2013. Accessed October 1, 2013. http://www.kabuki21.com/takasuke2.php * Tazawa, Yutaka. Ed. ''Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art.'' Tokyo: Kodansha, 1981. * The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. "Toyokuni." Infoplease.com. 2012. Accessed September 22, 2013. http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/toyokuni.html * Waterhouse, David. ''Images of Eighteenth Century Japan: Ukiyo-e Prints from the Sir Edmund Walker Collection''. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, 1975.

External sources

* http://ukiyo-e.org/image/famsf/5050161212810023 - c. 1800 Toyokuni print featuring Omezō and Yaozō from the British Museum * https://web.archive.org/web/20150518103310/http://enpaku.waseda.ac.jp/db/enpakunishik/results-big.php?shiryo_no=201-5673 - 1801 print by Toyokuni featuring Omezō and Yaozō {{DEFAULTSORT:Ichikawa Omezo as a Pilgrim and Ichikawa Yaozo as a Samurai (Toyokuni I) Works by Toyokuni I