Comment - Kabuki scene of a play after an episode of "Stories by Bakin". The episode is based on "The Dream of the Palace Guardsman" ("MusōHyōe", "夢 想兵衛") a tale by the Edo-era writer Kyokutei BAKIN (曲亭 馬琴). A palace guardsman is flying with an eagle kite ("tonbi dako", "鳶凧"), followed by his footman as Yakko kite ("yakko dako", "奴凧"). It seems to be springtime, and the cherry trees are blossoming, the swallows have returned.

The palace guardsman is the well known actor Nakamura Tsurusuke-I (一代中村鶴助), and the footman is Ichikawa Ichizō-III (三代市川市蔵). This woodblock characterizes a real stage scene, therefore both actors a tied to a long black stick, somehow fixed to the upper stage.

More woodblocks depicting this episode are also to be seen by Chikanobu and another print of Kunisada himself ("Kite Flying Triptych"), as well as a print of Yoshhiiku ("Ichikawa Ichizô-III and Nakamura Tsurusuke-IV with Musicians").


Series - ~


Artist - see Biography


Signature - "painted by 77 year venerable old gentleman Toyokuni" ("Nanajūnana okina Toyokuni ga", "七十七翁豊国画"), in streched oval brownish-red toshidama cartouche (Otoshidama-in, 年玉印), on all panels


Publisher - Ebiya Rinnosuke (海老屋林之助), (Kaijudō publishing house with Ebirin seal) on all panels


Image Size - 50 × 36.5cm (19 11/6" x 14 3/8") + margins as shown


Condition - diptych, two single panels (maybe part of a tryptich); nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);