Accession Number
2003/1.473.2

Title
First Snowfall on the Lovers' Journey to His Hometown: Bandō Kōsaburō IV as Magoemon

Artist(s)
Utagawa Kunisada

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1854

Medium & Support
woodblock print on paper

Dimensions
14 1/2 in x 9 9/16 in (36.8 cm x 24.3 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James Hayes

Subject matter
The Lovers’ Journey stories are based off of the puppy-play Meido no hikyaku, known as Courier for Hell, by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. It is the story of the lovers Chūbei, a courier, and Umegawa, a courtesan from the Shinmachi entertainment district. Chūbei uses his customers’ money to pay off Umegawa’s debt, and the two run away to his home town to escape punishment. There they die in the mountains. Often, the kabuki play took on a different scenery and title depending on the season in which it was performed.

Physical Description
The man in the front wears a blue robe with brown stoles. He carries a red umbrella in both hands. Behind and above him are two men wearing blue stoles over black robes. Both men hold instruments.

This is a ccenter piece of a triptych (with 2003/1.473.1 and 2003/1.473.3).

Inscriptions: Magoemon; Toyokuni ga (Artist's siganture); hori take (Carver's seal); Kichi, Isekane (Publisher's seal); aratame, tora 9 (Censor's seals)
 

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If 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
kabuki
men (male humans)
musicians
stages (performance spaces)
theater (discipline)
umbrellas