Advanced Search
Advanced Search

To Brigade, Tenth Group, Asakusa: Actor Bandô Shûka I as a Temple Acolyte (Chigo), from the series Flowers of Edo and Views of Famous Places (Edo no hana meishô-e)


「江戸の花名勝会 と 十番組」 「浅草」 「坂東十三番 坂東しうか」(初代)
Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) (Japanese, 1786–1864)
Other artist: Utagawa Sadahide (Japanese, 1807–1873)
Other artist: Utagawa Yoshitora (Japanese, active about 1836–1887)
Publisher: Katôya Iwazô (Seibei) (Japanese)
Blockcutter: Koizumi Minokichi (Hori Mino) (Japanese, 1833–1906)
Japanese
Edo period
1862 (Bunkyû 2), 12th month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions Vertical ôban; 35.2 × 24.4 cm (13 7/8 × 9 5/8 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.44605
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

Catalogue Raisonné Toraya, Atsumeru tanoshimi (Yoshida coll., 2012), p. 75 (detail)
DescriptionMFA impressions: 11.42504, 11.44605, 11.45140, 11.45396.4 (creped, in album)

The term “flowers of Edo” (Edo no hana) can refer, among other things, to fires. The title panel for each print in this series shows the lanterns and identifying standard (matoi) for one of the brigades of firefighters (hikeshi) assigned to various districts. On the west side of the Sumida River were 48 brigades named for the symbols of the kana syllabary and grouped into 8 numbered groups (1 to 10, minus the bad-luck numbers 4 and 7). On the east side of the river, brigades were numbered and assigned to directional groups. Outlying districts were covered by special brigades, here designated “extra” (bangai). Each title gives the name or number of a brigade, its group, and its district, followed by the kabuki scene chosen to match it.
Signed Ôju Toyokuni ga, in toshidama cartouche (top left); Sadahide ga (bottom right); Yoshitora ga (bottom left)
応需 豊国画(年玉枠)、貞秀画、芳貞画
Marks Censor's seal: Dog 12 aratame
Blockcutter's mark: Horikô Mino
改印:戌十二改
彫師:彫工巳の
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850–d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 19, 2005)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.