Allusion to the Character Sanbaso

Catalog note / 解説

This <i>uchiwa-e</i>, or rigid fan print, design by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1868) is one of a set of three, the two other designs having been created by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1864) and Hiroshige. The 'Sanbaso Dance' of the series title was an Edo period (1615-1868) adaptation of <i>Okina</i>, one of the oldest works in the No theatrical repertory with origins in ritual dances dating back to the 10th century. In both its Bunraku puppet theatre and Kabuki theatre versions it was performed, as in the case of the No theatre, on celebratory occasions and always at the beginning of a cycle of plays. The pine tree backdrop is similar to what would have been used on the stage. The references to…