Kunisada: Diptych showing the famous Nikki Danjo Rat transformation scene: Ichikawa Ebizo in the role of Arajishi Otonosuke and Me Brigade, Second Group, Shibaguchi: Actor Matsumoto Kôshirô V as Nikki Danjô.ゆ 三番組 袖の浦 荒獅子男之助　市川海老蔵

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Title: Diptych showing the famous Nikki Danjo Rat transformation scene: Ichikawa Ebizo in the role of Arajishi Otonosuke and Me Brigade, Second Group, Shibaguchi: Actor Matsumoto Kôshirô V as Nikki Danjô.ゆ　三番組」　「袖の浦」　「荒獅子男之助　市川海老蔵」

Series: Edo no hana meisho-e 江戸廼花名勝会 (Flowers of Edo and Views of Famous Places) Date: 1863

Diptych comprised of (right side) Yu Brigade, Third Group, Sodenoura and Ichikawa Ebizo in the role of Arajishi Otonosuke.  We see the actor with red makeup, holding a raised fan and looking at the rat below; the Ichikawa crest is shown above. On the left of this rightmost sheet is a lovely little landscape of a sailing boat by Sadahide. The rat portion is signed Isai. This forms the right side of a diptych with Me Brigade, Second Group, Shibaguchi: Actor Matsumoto Kôshirô V as Nikki Danjô on the left.  Other artists are Hiroshige II and Yoshitora. On the left sheet we see Matsumoto Koshiro V in the famous scene where Nikki Danjo transforms from a rat. At bottom is a woman holding aloft a lantern in the darkness. The right side of the diptych shows the rat himself. The Hiroshige II design shows what looks like toys or a signboard of some sort that are showing this same scene.

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. Each print highlights the most famous aspects of an individual district in Edo, and includes a scene from the district and a kabuki actor portrait that relates to the place in some way. 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: Excellent color. Very good impression and condition.  Dimensions: ôban diptych (each sheet approx. 35.3 x 24.2 cm)
Publisher: Katôya Iwazoô (Seibei)
Literature: See MFA, FAMSF (Achenbach) museums online for other works from this series. 
Signature: Toyokuni ga, Hiroshige ga

SKU: KUS572