The armor-pulling scene from a Soga play

Object Details

• Label

  In this famous scene that appeared in many kabuki versions of the Soga brothers' vendetta to avenge their father's death, Soga no Goro (1174-1193) struggles with Asahina Saburo, who tries to restrain Goro from intervening in a confrontation between his brother Juro (1172-1193) and their uncle. The scene evolved into a dance piece from an enactment of a struggle over the armor that Goro has carried to the scene. This dance was performed in the bravado aragoto style that became a specialty of Edo actors, especially of the Ichikawa Danjuro family line. The actor playing Soga no Goro is likely to be Ichikawa Danjuro II (1689-1758).

• Provenance

  To 1902

  Bunshichi Kobayashi (circa 1861-1923), Boston, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Yokohama, to 1902 [1]

  From 1902 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunshichi Kobayashi in 1902 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Panel List, L. 19, pg. 5, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Paintings and Prints (December 8, 2002 to May 26, 2003)

  Japanese Prints (January 18, 1980 to May 18, 1980)

  Japanese Ukiyo-e Painting (May 2, 1973 to July 1, 1974)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Kobayashi Bunshichi 小林文七 (ca. 1861-1923) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1860s, 1670s, 1660s

• Name

  Kobayashi, Bunshichi, Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Theater, Yakusha-e, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Actors and actresses, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Ukiyo-e, Kakemono

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings