Ya-no-ne

Catalog note / 解説

A dramatic kabuki print with bokashi shading and black lacquer urushi-e from a series on Eighteen Master Plays of the Ichikawa Family Ya-no-ne (The Arrow Head) is a Soga Brothers piece, popular at the New Year. Soga Goro is at home at the New Year, polishing arrow heads for his planned revenge against his father's enemy Suketsune. Tired from his work, he takes a nap, placing a picture of the treasure ship of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, said to bring a fortunate first dream, below his pillow. But Goro dreams that his brother Juro has been captured in the Suketsune house and is crying for help. He leaps up from the dream, and grabbing a horse used by a radish seller, rides off to help Jur…