Comment - Flying 'Ordinary Yakko Kite' or man kite ("yakko-dako", "奴凧"), played by Ichikawa Ichizō-III (市川市蔵). He wears the distinctive clothing of a yakko or low ranking servant, a kimono with a striped collar and a diamond crest on the shoulders. The Yakko carries a funny bag with two eyes and suggested bird-of-prey beak on a kind of wooly head, maybe depicting a head of an owl. The bag is tied with simple cords to his right sholder. The Yakko hangs in the air, his sleeves extended like wings, looking down with a frown. While in the air, three geese are crossing below him. The kite is tied to a kiteline extending over the lower right selvage. The kabuki scene may be from the stage play "Tegoshi Kise River" ("Tegoshi Kise-gawa", "手越喜瀬川") (refer to Kunisada's diptych 'Asahina Flying a Kite').

The print 'Ordinary Yakko Kite' ('Yakko-dako taira', '奴凧平') comes from a set of two panels ('Ordinary Yakko Kite' and 'Asahina Kobayashi', both see below). With the second panel ('Asahina Kobayashi') also part of the "8 Pieces Collection". The extending downward kiteline of the yakko-dako from the 'Ordinary Yakko Kite' matches the extending upward kiteline of the panel 'Asahina Kobayashi' from the right panel of the diptych "Asahina Flying a Kite" (or "Tegoshi Kise River"). The left panel, titled 'Saemon Suketsune' is known to form a diptych with the panel 'Asahina Kobayashi' (see below).

Thus the above print 'Ordinary Yakko Kite' may be a part of an so far unknown tetraptych. Together with with Asahina's 'missing' kite (see the above Yakko) from the diptych of Kunisada's 'Asahina Flying a Kite', this triptych may be complemented to a tetraptych.


Series - "8 Pieces Collection" or "Hachi Mai-Soroi" (Yuika Ogawa Yukiyuki Omi - Kunihisa-ga Sandai-Toyokuni-ga - Hachi Mai-soroi, 濡衣女鳴神　近江八勇之内　国久画　三代豊国画　八枚揃) 


Artist - see Biography


Signature - Toyokuni-ga (豊国 画), in streched oval brownish-red toshidama cartouche (Otoshidama-in, 年玉印), on all panels


Publisher - Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke (辻岡屋文助), (Kinshōdō publishing, 松堂), white seal next to the Otoshidama


Image Size - 39.1 x 23.8cm (15 3/8" x 9 3/8")


Condition - single panels (maybe part of a tetraptych); nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);