Toyohara Kunichika
(櫓太鼓鳴音吉原)
Tower drum ringing sound Yoshiwara (Yagura Daiko Otomo Yoshiwara) was Staged at the Ichimura-za Theatre from the 14th of the 2nd month, 1866.
Bandō Hikosaburō as ‘Nezumi no sei, Jūzō’ (‘the spirit of a rat, Jūzō’).
As we can see the onstage Kiyomoto musicians at the back, this probably illustrates the dance section of the play, which had the title ‘Nezuminaki iro ni au yo’ (鼠鳴色逢夜).
These two sheets portray the actors Ichimura Kakitsu V as the ‘shinzō’ (junior courtesan) Kochō (in reality, the spirit of a cat), and Iwai Kyūshirō as the ‘kamuro’ (a courtesan’s child apprentice) Shigeri.
Condition: Very good color, margins as shown, print is backed.
Date: 1866