Kunisada: Ikenohata: the Actor Bando Muraemon with Telescope

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Title: From Wa Brigade, Eighth Squad, we see the actor Bando Muraemon as Ishigameya Jidanta.
Series: Edo no hana meisho-e (Flowers of Edo and Views of Famous Places)江戸の花名勝会

Date: 1863

From Wa Brigade, Eighth Squad, we see the actor Bando Muraemon as Ishigameya Jidanta. He wears a striped kimono and holds a telescope to his eye, pointing out something seen in the distance. To the left is a landscape, and the telescope bridges the usual visual separation of the border.

The term “flowers of Edo” (Edo no hana) can refer, among other things, to fires. The title panel for each print in this series shows the lanterns and identifying standard (matoi) for one of the brigades of firefighters (hikeshi) assigned to various districts. On the west side of the Sumida River were 48 brigades named for the symbols of the kana syllabary and grouped into 8 numbered groups (1 to 10, minus the bad-luck numbers 4 and 7). On the east side of the river, brigades were numbered and assigned to directional groups. Outlying districts were covered by special brigades, here designated “extra” (bangai). Each title gives the name or number of a brigade, its group, and its district, followed by the kabuki scene chosen to match it. There is a lot going on in each design, as in the upper right are the standards and lanterns for specific fire brigades, and on the upper left are usually magic lantern slides. Then there are one or two designs that comprise the lower portion, with Kunisada designing the actor portrait and various (21! in total for the series) other artists designing the landscape scenes. 

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. 
Dimensions: ôban (35.8 x 24.6 cm)
Publisher: Katôya Iwazoô (Seibei)
Literature: See MFA website and FAMSF, Waseda University websites. A reference book has been privately published by Simon Henry that examines this entire series.
Signature: Toyokuni ga

SKU: KUS539