Comment - Intriguing kabuki scene from the play "Kin Shachi Uwasano Takanami Yakko-dako chunori no ba", a drama about a man named Kakinoke Kinsuke who became a Yakko-kite ("奴凧, "yakko-dako") or man kite to fly over the walls of Nagoya Castle and steal the gold from the dolphin roof ornaments.

At left, Onoe Kikugorō-V ("尾上菊五郎") appears as Yakko kite (やつこたこ) or footman Kinsuke, the sleeves of his kimono spread wide as he floats in the air. His name is written in big white cassete in the center right of the left panel.

Nakamura Jusaburō (中村寿三郎) as a young boy stares up at him in the center. He is holding a spool of kite string, reaching out his right hand, as if holding an imaginary kite line to control the Yakko kite. He is looking up over his shoulder with a somewhat puzzled expression and wears a plaid kimono over a yellow under robe with bands of olive green and tie-dyed blue fabric on the sleeves, a fan and a cloth tucked into his yellow obi. Above him, on a platform behind the stage, a row of three chanters and two musicians playing shamisen to accompany the performance. They are sitting on a red platform, looking down at their open books on black lacquer stands. They are all wearing the same outfit, the troupe is named within their yellow white cassettes. They seem all to belong to the Tomimoto (富本) and  Misaki (名見崎) family workshops. Only half of the named troupe members are shown.

At right, actor Bandō Hikosaburō (坂東彦三郎) in the rôle of Sukenari (祐成) frowns as he holds a pipe, while the beauty beside him, actor Arashi Eizaburō (嵐栄三郎) as the character Izayoi (十六夜), smiles coyly as she tilts her head. She holds a hanetsuki racket decorated with the portrait of an actor, maybe the same Bandō Hikosaburō behind her.

A handsome depiction of a Yakko-kite ("奴凧, "yakko-dako") or man kite, and nice view of both the actors and accompanists, detailed with burnishing in the black lacquer stands and embossing in the string. All actors names and roles are written in the white-yellow cassettes. The title cassette is on the upper right of the right panel.


Series - ~


Artist - see Biography


Signature - "Kunichika hitzu" ("国周筆", "drawn by KUNICHIKA") with his red ring seal (Otoshidama-in 年玉印) on the left panel; "Kunichika hitzu" without Otoshidama seal on the center panel, none on right panel


Publisher - Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke (辻岡屋文助), publisher's seal on every panel


Image Size - 33.0 X  69.9 cm (13" x 27 1/2") + margins as shown


Condition - triptych, three single panels; nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);