Accession Number2003/1.420.1
TitleIwai Shijaku [I] as Kohina (left half of a diptych with 2003/1.420.2)
Artist(s)Utagawa KunisadaArtist NationalityJapanese (culture or style)Object Creation Date1822-1844Medium & Supportwoodblock print on paperDimensions 14 15/16 in. x 10 1/4 in. ( 38 cm x 26 cm )
Credit LineGift of Dr. James HayesSubject matterThis play is one of the many variations of the story of the Soga brothers, one of the most popular revenge stories of the Edo period. The story is based on a late Kamakura period (1185-1333) book,
Soga monogatari that tells the tale of two brothers, Jūrō and Gorō, who take revenge for their father on Kudō Suketsune in 1193. The brothers were executed, and it is thought that the story may have been written to pacify their spirits.
Actor Iwai Shijaku I, also known as Iwai Hanshirō VII, was the oldest son of Iwai Hanshirō V. He was born in 1804 and died in 1845.
Physical DescriptionThe woman in this image stands in front of a long red bench. She wears a colourful robe with a black top and tall sandals. Her hair is elaborately decorated. A flowering tree is visible behind her in front of the blue sky.
Inscriptions: Artist Signature: Kunisada ga; Publisher’s seal: Kyū ; Censor’s seal: kiwame; Kohina, Iwai Shijaku
This is the left panel of a triptych (the right panel, 2003/1.420.2).
Primary Object Classification Print Primary Object Typecolor printCollection AreaAsianRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
actors
benches (furniture)
kabuki
kimonos
theater (discipline)
women (female humans)