Kawarazaki Gonjūrō I as Ude no Kisaburō: Toyokuni III's Modern Water Margin

Kawarazaki Gonjūrō I as Ude no Kisaburō

Utagawa Toyokuni III (Utagawa Kunisada) | 1858 (Ansei 5) | Ōban nishiki-e from Tōsei Suikoden (当世好男子伝, A Modern Water Margin)

This print portrays Kawarazaki Gonjūrō I as Ude no Kisaburō, a chivalrous figure from Edo stories. The title compares him with Wu Song (Gyōja Bushō, 行者武松), a hero of the Chinese novel Water Margin. It is one of nine sheets in Toyokuni III's series pairing Japanese figures with heroes from that tale. 🎭

A Tiger in the Story and on the Skin

Wu Song is famed for defeating a tiger with his bare hands. Across Kisaburō's right arm and back, a tiger tattoo brings that literary association into the actor's portrait. This imaginative parallel, or mitate, makes the print more than a straightforward stage likeness. 🐅

A Quiet Gesture, a Forceful Presence

Against a pine tree at night, Kisaburō opens his dark-blue outer robe and lifts a pale blue-green towel to his face and neck. The small, still gesture contrasts with his piercing gaze, muscular form, and striking tattoo. 🌲

About the Artist

Utagawa Toyokuni III, also known as Utagawa Kunisada, was a leading artist of actor prints in nineteenth-century Japan. This 1858 sheet brings kabuki celebrity and the heroic world of Water Margin together in a single image. 🎴

Explore more stories behind Japanese woodblock prints at Atelier UKIYO.