Torii Kiyomasu I, The actors ōtani Hiroji and Ichikawa
Danzō in an 'armour-tugging' (kusazuri-biki) scene, a
woodblock print
Edo (Tokyo), Japan
Edo period, AD 1717
'Gourd-shaped legs and wriggling worm
lines'
The Kabuki 'armour-tugging' scene originated in the play about
the revenge of the Soga brothers. It involved a struggle between
the characters Soga no Gorō (right) and Kobayashi Asahina (left).
However, it came to be inserted into other unrelated plays and in
the summer of 1717 it was due to be performed 'underwater' in the
play 'The Battle of Coxinga' (Kokusenya gassen), at the
Ichimura Theatre. A large signboard was painted to hang outside the
theatre, showing Hiroji bursting out through the side of the boat
to grasp Danzō's armour. In the event, the scene was cancelled, but
the signboard painting, now lost, may well have been the
inspiration for this print, since the Torii artists were
responsible for producing all of the signboards, prints and
illustrated programmes for the Kabuki theatres in Edo.
The characteristic acting style of Edo was known as
aragoto ('rough stuff'). The lively drawing style of the
early Torii artists admirably catches the boisterous energy of the
action. A later Japanese critic describes their figures as
typically having 'gourd-shaped legs and wriggling worm lines'. The
impact of this print is increased by the application by hand of
orange lead pigment (tan).
L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990)
M. Narasaki (ed.), Hizō Ukiyo-e taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987)
Narazaki Muneshige, and Yamaguchi Keisaburo (eds.), Ukiyo-e shūka, vol. 2 (Tokyo, shu eisha, 1979)
L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89)