BUNRAKU
(文楽)

                 
Osan (おさん)

Kamiya Jihê (紙屋治兵衛)

Play: Shinjû Ten no Amijima (心中天網島)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date:  01/25/14
Artist: Takehisa Yumeji (竹久夢二)
Medium: Woodblock printed cover for Chikamatsu no Hitobito (近松の人々) by Takasu Baikei (高須梅渓)
Personal Collection

Note: This copy was the 5th edition published on May 23, 1916, but presumably had the same cover
and frontispiece as the original 1914 edition.  It appears to depict a bunraku puppet production of
Shinjû Ten no Amijima.
 

                 
[Shinmachi Bridge] Shinmachi-hashi (新町橋)

Play: ?
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date:  01/25/14
Artist: Takehisa Yumeji (竹久夢二)
Medium: Woodblock printed frontispiece for Chikamatsu no
Hitobito (近松の人々) by Takasu Baikei (高須梅渓)
Personal Collection

Note: This copy was the 5th edition published on May 23, 1916,
but presumably had the same cover and frontispiece as the
original 1914 edition.  It is unclear is the frontispiece bears any
relationship to the bunraku puppet play depicted on the book's
cover.  It has been included on this site in an abundance of caution.
 

                 
[Backstage at the Bunraku-za]
Bungakuza no gakuya  (文楽座の楽屋)

Play: ?
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1914
Artist: Takehisa Yumeji (竹久夢二)
Image courtesy of the National Museum of
Modern Art, Kyoto

Note: First edition printed by Minatoya.

                   
[Backstage at the Bunraku-za]
Bungakuza no gakuya  (文楽座の楽屋)

Play: ?
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Original Print Date: 1914
Artist: Takehisa Yumeji (竹久夢二)
Personal Collection

Note: Second edition printed by Yanagiya (c. 1920s).
 
 
 
 
 

                   
[Bunraku-za Dressing Room aka Puppets Hanging in the
Greenroom of the Bunraku Theater, Osaka]
Bunrakuza Gakuya (文楽座楽屋)

Performance Place: Bunraku-za, Osaka
Print Date: 1919
Artist: Oda Kazuma (織田一磨)
Medium: Stone lithograph
Image Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

                   
[Japanese Puppet Theatre (Sankatsu Hanshichi)]
Bunraku-za (Sankatsu Hanshichi) (文楽座 (三勝半七）)

Play: Sakaya (酒壺), Act II of Hade Sugata Onna Maiginu
(艶容女舞衣)
Performance Place: Bunraku-za, Osaka
Performance Date: 1919?
Print Date: 1919
Artist: Oda Kazuma (織田一磨)
Medium: Stone lithograph
Image Courtesy of Yamada Shoten
 
 
 
 

Ningyo Joruri

Performance Place: Bunraku Theatre
Performance Date: 1922?
Print Date: 1922
Artist: Nakazawa Hiromitsu (中澤弘光)
Series: Nihon Taikan #8       
Personal Collection
 
 
 

Bunraku Puppet as Kongômaru Terutada (金剛丸照忠)

Play: Shibaraku (暫)
Date: c. 1922-1923
Artist: Nishimura Goun (西村五雲)
Series: Dai Chikamatsu Zenshu Furoku Mokuhan
(大近松全集 付録木版)
*Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
 
 
 

                   
[Puppet Show at the Bunrakuza Theater
("Oshichi, the Greengrocer's Daughter")] 
Bungakuza Ningyô Geki (Yaoya Oshichi no Butaimen)
(文楽座人形劇 (八百屋お七の舞台面))

Play: Date Musume Koi no Higanoko (伊達娘恋緋鹿子)
Performance Place: Bunraku-za Puppet Theater
(文楽座人形劇), Osaka
Performance Date: 1928?
Print Date: 1928
Artist: Oda Kazuma (織田一磨)
Medium: Stone lithograph
Personal Collection
 
 
 

Untitled

Play: ?
Publication: 版画 [Hanga], 第 3 号
Date: December 1, 1929
Artist: Miyao Shigeo (宮尾しげを)

Note: Although the image is in black and white, the print is in
color.
 
 
 
 

[Jôruri Puppet]
Yakko Kichiemon  (奴吉右衛門)

Play: ?
Publication: Shiro to Kuro (白と黒), 第 5 号
Date: 07/01/30
Artist: Ryôji Chômei (料治潮鳴)
 
Note: Although the image is in black
and white, the print is in color.
 
 
 
 

                   
Bunraku Ningyô
(文楽人形)

Publication: Shiro to Kuro
(白と黒), 第 16 号
Date: July 1, 1931
Artist: Miyao Shigeo (宮尾しげを)

[ Osono's Sadness] Osono Shûtan (お園愁嘆)

Play: ?
Theater: Musume Bunraku ( 娘文楽)
Publication: Shiro to Kuro (白と黒), 第 16 号
Date: 07/01/31
Artist: Ryôji Chômei (料治潮鳴)
Image courtesy of Yamada Shoten

Bunraku Ningyô
(文楽人形)

Publication: Shiro to Kuro
(白と黒), 第 17 号
Date: September 1, 1931
Artist: Miyao Shigeo (宮尾しげを)
 
 
 
 

Bunraku Ningyô (Matsuo)
(文楽人形 (松王))

Play: Sugawara Denju
Tenarai Kagami
(菅原傳授手習鑑)
Publication: Shiro to Kuro
(白と黒), 第 18 号
Date: October 1, 1931
Artist: Miyao Shigeo (宮尾しげを)
 
 
 
 

                 
[Puppet] Ningyô (人形)

Print Date: 07/01/32
Artist: Kawanishi Hide (川西英)
Published in Han Geijutsu (版芸術), Vol. 4 (July 1, 1932)
 
 

Numazu Heisaku (沼津平作)

Play: Numazu (沼津), Act VI of
Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku (伊賀越道中双六)
Publication: Shiro to Kuro (白と黒), 第 29 号
Date: 11/01/32
Artist: Ryôji Chômei (料治潮鳴)
 
 

Toneri Matsuòmaru (舎人松王丸)

Play: Terakoya (寺子屋), Act IV, Scene 3 of 
Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (菅原傳授手習鑑)
Publication: Shiro to Kuro (白と黒), 第 33 号
Date: 03/01/33
Artist: Ogawa Tatsuhiko (小川龍彦)
 
 
 

Musume Bunraku (娘文楽)

Play: ?
Theater: Musume Bunraku (娘文楽)
Publication: Yûkari (ゆうかり), 第 18 号
Date: 02/28/34
Artist: Ogawa Tatsuhiko (小川龍彦)
 
Note: Although the image is in black and white, the print is in color.
 
 
 

[Woman Bunraku] On'na Bunraku (女文楽)

Play: ?
Publication: Shiro to Kuro (白と黒), 第 46 号
Date: 04/01/34
Artist: Ogawa Tatsuhiko (小川龍彦)
 
 
 

                 
[Bunraku Puppet No. 1] Bunraku Ningyô No. 1 (文楽人形)

Date: 1934
Artist: Sekino Jun'ichirô (関野準一郎)

Note: It is possible that this print corresponds to one of the
undated Bunraku Puppet prints.
 
 

[Jôruri Puppets] Jôruri Ningyô (浄瑠璃人形)

Publication:  Han Geijutsu (版芸術), 第 43 [44] 号
Date: 11/01/35 
Artist: Fujimoto Tôichiryô (藤本東一良)
 
 
 

                 
[Bunraku Puppet No. 2] Bunraku Ningyô No. 2 (文楽人形)

Date: 1935
Artist: Sekino Jun'ichirô (関野準一郎)

Note: It is possible that this print corresponds to one of the
undated Bunraku Puppet prints.
 
 

                   
[Princess Yaegaki] Yaegaki-hime (八重垣姫)
(文楽人形)

Play: Honchô Nijûshikô (本朝廿四孝)
Publication: Ukiyoe-kai (浮世絵界)
Date: October 1936
Artist: Miyao Shigeo (宮尾しげを)
Personal Collection
 

            
Bunraku Puppet (文楽人形)

Play: ?
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1942
Artist: Inagaki Tomoo (稲垣知雄)
Personal Collection
 

                 
Bunraku Puppet (文楽人形)

Play: ?
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1942
Artist: Inagaki Tomoo (稲垣知雄)
Medium: Keyblock print with handcoloring on the face
Personal Collection

                   
Ningyô Furi Oshichi (人形振お七)

Play:   Date Musume Koi no Higanoko (伊達娘恋緋鹿子)
Print Date: 11/01/43
Artist: Yamakawa Shûhô (山川秀峰)
Medium: Woodblock printed magazine cover
Publication: [Japanese Dance]
Nihon Buyô (⽇本舞踊) Vols. 74-75 (Nov. 1, 1943)
Image courtesy of a Private Collector
 
 
 
      

[Sanbasô Puppet] Sanbasô Ningyô (三番叟人形)

Play: Okina (翁) or a Sanbasômono (三番叟物) play
Print Date:  05/08/44
Artist: Maekawa Senpan (前川千帆)
Image courtesy of Artelino.com