Scene from the play "Higashiyama sakura no sōshi," at the Nakamura Theater

Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
1851, 8th month -
Geography
Japan -
Material
Ink and color on paper -
Dimension
H x W (585a (right)): 35.8 × 25.4 cm (14 1/8 × 10 in) -
Accession Number
S2021.5.585a-b -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_S2021.5.585a-b
Object Details
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Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1798-1861) -
Publisher
Enshuya Hikobei 遠州屋彦兵衛 (active ca. 1847-1867) -
Label
This play is based on a real man named Sakura Sōgo. After his lord taxed his village into starvation, Sōgo went directly to the shogun to beg for help, knowing he would be executed for his insubordination. His ghost returned to torment his wicked lord as revenge for his own death and those of his wife and children, who were also executed as punishment. As this was a politically sensitive story, the characters’ names were changed for the kabuki version to avoid government censorship. The name of the real Lord Hotta Masanobu (1631–1680) was changed to “Lord Horikoshi” or “Orikoshi,” and Sakura Sōgo was changed to “Asakura Tōgo.” However, the references were still quite obvious, so some publishers were also careful in how they marketed these prints. This print is marked with an oval seal reading shita-uri, or “under sale,” which suggests it was sold discreetly and was not prominently advertised. -
Collection
National Museum of Asian Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints (March 23 to October 6, 2024) -
Origin
Japan -
Credit Line
The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection -
Type
Print -
Restrictions and Rights
Usage Conditions Apply
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