名取春仙画　六代目尾上菊五郎の早野勘平|Onoe Kikugorō VI as Hayano Kanpei

Natori Shunsen

1931 · Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban · Asian Art

To represent the “Musket Scene” from the first scene of Act V of the Kabuki play The Treasury of the Royal Retainers (Kanadehon Chūshingura), the artist presents a close-up of the actor as Hayano Kanpei, a retainer of En’ya Hangan. In the play, the circumstances surrounding Hangan’s death sentence leads to a complex revenge story that has fascinated generations of Kabuki fans. The print captures the emotions of a samurai who feels guilt for not being at his master’s side at a crucial moment because he was meeting with his lover, Okaru.

Artist

Natori Shunsen

Date

1931

Medium

Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper; vertical ōban

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of H. J. Isaacson, 1948