The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro II as Soga no Goro and Ogawa Zengoro as Kudo Suketsune
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1715
label: Period
content: Edo period
name: label: Artist
content: Torii Kiyonobu 鳥居清信 (1664-1729)
notes: label: Description
content: This hanging scroll depicts a scene from the Kabuki play, "Bando-ichi Kotobuki Soga." In this scene, Soga no Goro attacks his uncle, Kudo no Suketsune as the latter prepares fresh herbs for the New Year.
label: Description
content: Signature and seal. Inscription on the back.
label: Signatures
content: Signature reads: "Torri Kiyonobu".
label: Marks
content: Seal of Kiyonobu.
label: Inscriptions
content: On the lining of the kakemono is a long inscription:
label: Inscriptions
content: "Kin no zai Shogei-Kagami ni yu, Shotoku gonen Hitsuji Shogatsu, Bando-ichi Kotobuki Soga Sukegoro no yaku ichiban. Suketsune, Sengoro (Shogatsu yori ide, Heikuro kawari) Nanakusa no tsumeai go, Kanyokyo-noku (?) ni te Suketsune wo nigashite munen no tokoro yoshi (churyaku) Tsugi no Kusazuribiki; Asahina ni Tomizawa, Juro ni Matagoro, Tosa wa Furjimura, Shosho was Takesaburo. Geryaku."
label: Inscriptions
content: "Ichikawa Hakuyen kono ye wo ichiran shite, Goro was sofu Danjuro, Suketsune wa Ogawa Zengoro, Asahina was Tomizawa Hanzaburo naran to i shimo mube nari Katsu Konogoro nite no Kudo wa Katakiyaku nite Jitsu-aku to iu koto wa nashi to iwareki. Kansei Tsuchinoto Hitsuji - no hi no koto nari." (Signed) Kyokoyen; seal: Kyoen.
label: Inscriptions
content: Translation:
label: Inscriptions
content: In the book it is stated that in the first month of Shotoku 5 (1715) in the play "Bando-ichi" the role of Sukegoro was the first (? best played). Zengoro as Suketsune (appeared fromt he first month in the place of Kaijuro). After the scene of "nanakusa" his (Sukegoro's) expression of regret at letting Suketsune escape, was good. XXX Then in the scene of "Kusazuri-biki," Tomizawa appeared as Asahina, Matagoro as Juro, Fujimura as Tora, Takesaburo as Shosho. XXXXXXX
label: Inscriptions
content: In the book it is stated that in the first month of Shotoku 5 (1715) in the play "Bando-ichi" the role of Sukegoro was the first (? best played). Zengoro as Suketsune (appeared fromt he first month in the place of Kaijuro). After the scene of "nanakusa" his (Sukegoro's) expression of regret at letting Suketsune escape, was good. XXX Then in the scene of "Kusazuri-biki," Tomizawa appeared as Asahina, Matagoro as Juro, Fujimura as Tora, Takesaburo as Shosho. XXXXXXX
label: Label
content: This hanging scroll depicts a scene from the Kabuki play, Bando-ichi Kotobuki Soga. This version of the story of the Soga brothers' vendetta for the murder of their father was first performed in the second month of 1715 at the Nakamura Theatre in Edo (now Tokyo). In this scene, Soga no Goro attacks his uncle, Kudo no Suketsune, as the latter prepares fresh herbs for the New Year.
label: Label
content: The painting has a document that identifies the actors as Ichikawa Danjuro II in the role of Soga no Goro and Ogawa Zengoro in the role of Kudo no Suketsune. The third character, Asahina no Saburo, is played by Tomizawa Hanzaburo.
label: Label
content: One of the finest surviving works by Torii Kiyonobu, who belonged to a lineage of artists specializing in portrayals of Kabuki actors, this painting captures the vitality and excitement of Kabuki performance in the Edo period.
label: Provenance
content: To 1898
label: Provenance
content: Edward S. Hull Jr., New York, to 1898 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1898 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Edward S. Hull Jr. in 1898 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] See Original Kakemono List, L. 134, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Edward S. Hull Jr. was Ernest Francisco Fenollosa’s (1853-1908) lawyer. Hull often acted as an agent, facilitating purchases of objects consigned to him by Fenollosa, as well as purchases of objects consigned to him by Fenollosa's
label: Provenance
content: well-known associate, Bunshichi Kobayashi (see correspondence, Hull to Freer, 1898-1900, as well as invoices from E.S. Hull Jr., 1898-1900, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives). See also, Ingrid Larsen, "'Don’t Send Ming or Later Pictures': Charles Lang Freer and the First Major Collection of Chinese Painting in an American Museum," Ars Orientalis vol. 40 (2011), pgs. 15 and 34. See further, Thomas Lawton and Linda Merrill, Freer: A Legacy of Art, (Washington, DC and New York: Freer Gallery of Art and H. N. Abrams, 1993), pgs. 133-134.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art from the Collection (October 26, 2024 - ongoing)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Arts in the Edo Period: 1615-1868, part 2 (March 8 to October 19, 2008)
label: Exhibition History
content: The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Paintings and Prints (December 8, 2002 to May 26, 2003)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art (May 9, 1993 to August 1, 1994)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Theatre in the Edo Period (July 22, 1985 to October 15, 1985)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Prints (December 1, 1978 to April 12, 1979)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Ukiyo-e Painting (May 2, 1973 to July 1, 1974)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art—Paintings, Pottery (August 18, 1967 to September 20, 1971)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art, Galleries 3, 4, and 5 (January 1, 1963 to September 16, 1970)
label: Exhibition History
content: Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 3 and 4 (February 25, 1956 to January 1, 1963)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1955 (October 25, 1955 to November 22, 1955)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art (October 3, 1947 to February 25, 1956)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Edward S. Hull Jr. (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Japan
topic: label: Topic
content: Edo period (1615 - 1868)
label: Topic
content: theater
label: Topic
content: kabuki
label: Topic
content: Japan
label: Topic
content: actor
label: Topic
content: ukiyo-e
label: Topic
content: kakemono
label: Topic
content: yakusha-e
label: Topic
content: Japanese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1898.14
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ink, color, and gold on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 41.4 x 52.1 cm (16 5/16 x 20 1/2 in)