YASUNA
(保名)

aka KOSODE MONOGURUI (小袖物狂ひ)

                        
Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as
Abe no Yasuna (阿倍保名; 安倍保名)

Play: Yasuna (保名)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 03/01/23
Print Date: 03/1923?
Artist: Mori Shunchô (森 春鳥)/Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Series: Nigao-e (似顔繪), #14
Personal Collection

Note: I cannot rule out the possibility that this print depicts
Kikugorô VI as Yasuna in a production of Kosode
Monogurui (小袖物狂ひ) at the Ichimura-za in February
1922.  Shunchô was  a pupil of Natori Shunsen and was
assisted by Shunsen in this design.
 
 

                    
Plays: Dankyô (斷橋); Shinrei Yaguchi no Watashi (神靈矢口渡);  Yasuna (保名); Musuko (息子);
Kyôkaku Harusame Kasa (侠客春雨傘)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date:  03/01/23
Print Date: 03/1923?
Artist: ?
Medium: Woodbock printed ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
 
 

               
Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as
Abe no Yasuna (安倍保名)

Play:  Yasuna (保名)
Performance Place: Shinbashi Enbujô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 06/05/25
Print Date: 06/1925?
Artist: Miyake Hanayama (三宅花山)
Medium: Lithograph
Personal Collection

Note:  Kikugorô VI also played Yasuna in a production at
the Teikoku Gekijô in March 1923 and at the Meiji-za in
April 1928.  I cannot rule out the possibility that this print
reflects one of those performances. 
 
 
 
 

Plays: Sanmon Gosan no Kiri  (樓門五三桐); Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku (伊賀越道中雙六);
Sagi Musume (鷺娘); Yasuna (保名); Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame (籠釣瓶花街醉醒)
Performance Place: Hongô-za, Tokyo
Performance Date:  01/02/26
Print Date: 01/1926?
Artist: ?
Medium: Machine lithograph printed? ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
 
 

Plays: Sanmon Gosan no Kiri  (樓門五三桐); Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku (伊賀越道中雙六);
Sagi Musume (鷺娘); Yasuna (保名); Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame (籠釣瓶花街醉醒)
Performance Place: Hongô-za, Tokyo
Performance Date:  01/02/26
Print Date: 01/1926?
Artist: ?
Medium: Machine lithograph printed? ehon sujigaki back cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
 

Plays:   Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata (近江源氏先陣館); Iro Moyô Chotto Karimame (色彩間苅豆);
Imashimegusa Inga Banashi (誡種因果噺); Kosode Monogurui (小袖物狂ひ);
Utamakura Genji no Edozome (歌枕源氏紫);  Gojôbashi (五条橋)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date:  06/01/38
Print Date: 06/1938?
Artist: ?
Medium: Machine lithograph printed? ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Shôchiku Ôtani Library
 
 
 

                   
Abe no Yasuna
(安倍保名)

Play: Yasuna  (保名)
Print Date: 1942
Artist: Hasegawa Sadanobu III
(長谷川貞信)
Series: Kokusui Butô-sen
Hana no Maki
(国粋舞踏選 花の巻)
Image courtesy of
Artelino.com
 
 

                   
Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as
Abe no Yasuna (安倍保名)

Play:  Yasuna  (保名)
Performance Place: Shinbashi Enbujô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 01/02/49
Print Date: 1949
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Series: Kikugorô Buyo Sugata [Kikugorô’s Dance
Appearances] (菊五郎舞踊姿)
Personal Collection

Note:  Kikugorô VI first performed his own version of this
role in Tokyo at the Ichimura-za in February 1922.  He
reprised the role in Tokyo on at least 13 subsequent
occasions, and gave his final performance in the role at the
Kabuki-za in Osaka in March 1949.  Although his
appearance at the Shinbashi Enbujô in January 1949 was
his last appearance in this role in Tokyo, it is possible that this
print depicts Kikugorô VI in one of these other productions.
 
 

                   
Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as
Abe no Yasuna (安倍保名)

Play: Yasuna (保名)
Performance Place: Shinbashi Enbujô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 01/02/49
Print Date: 1950 or later
Artist: Ota Gatô (太田雅光)
Series: Meifu Miyage Geki no Omokage
(冥府苞苴劇容彩)  (#32)
Medium: ?
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum

Note: It is unclear if this is a woodblock print, a watercolor
drawing, or a hand-colored keyblock print for an
unpublished design.  Kikugorô VI died on July 10, 1949 at
age 65.  He first played the role of Yasuna in Tokyo at the
Ichimura-za in February 1922.  Although  Kikugorô VI's
final Tokyo appearance in this role was at the Shinbashi
Enbujô in January 1949, it is possible that Gakô  based
this print on one of Kikugorô VI's prior performances.
 
 
 

                   
Ichikawa Sadanji III (市川左団次 市川左團次) as
Abe no Yasuna (安倍保名)

Play:  Yasuna (保名)
Performance Place: Tôyoko Hall, Tokyo
Performance Date: 09/1956
Print Date: 09/1956 or later
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)
Personal Collection

Note: A similar but  more detailed version of this
design is shown in the 2002 and 1991 Shunsen
catalogs (and appears to be a painting).  Another
verison of this print exist without the butterflies
hand-painted in the upper left corner.
 
 
 

                 
Onoe Kikugoro VI (尾上菊五郎) as Abe no Yasuna (安倍保名)

Play: Yasuna (保名)
Print Date: 10/20/68
Artist: Takahashi Yukio/Nakamura Tokie I (中村時枝)
Series: [Twelve Months of Famous Actors]
Meiyû Jyûni-Kagetsu (名優十二 ヶ月)
Image courtesy of Artelino.com
  
 
 

 
Nakamura Senjaku I (中村扇雀)
as Abe no Yasuna (安倍保名)

Play: Yasuna (保名)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: ?
Artist: Hasegawa Sadanobu III
(長谷川貞信)
Medium: Woodblock printed
pochibukuro
Personal Collection

                               
            Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as Abe no Yasuna (安倍保名)
            Nakamura Kichiemon I (中村吉右衛門) as ***

            Play: Yasuna (保名)/?
            Print Date: ?
            Artist: Ueno Tadamasa (上野忠雅)

            Note: Information on the source of this image is lost, but
            it is believed to be a woodblock print.  Kikugorô VI first
            performed his own version of this role in Tokyo at the
            Ichimura-za in February 1922.  He reprised the role in
            Tokyo on at least 13 subsequent occasions, and gave
            his final performance in the role at the Kabuki-za in
            Osaka in March 1949, four months before his death on
            July 10, 1949 at age 65.  His last appearance in Tokyo
            in this role was at the Shinbashi Enbujô in January
            1949, although it is possible that this print depicts
            Kikugorô VI in an earlier production.