Detail View: The AMICA Library: The actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as the Buddhist deity Fudo in the final scene from part one of the play Fuki Kaete Tsuki mo Yoshiwara (Rethatched Roof: The Moon also Shines Over the Yoshiwara Pleasure District)

AIC_.1939.699

1998

Prints

Katsukawa, Shunsho

Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese

Japanese; 1726-1792 Asia,East Asia,Japan

Katsukawa Shunsho

The actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as the Buddhist deity Fudo in the final scene from part one of the play Fuki Kaete Tsuki mo Yoshiwara (Rethatched Roof: The Moon also Shines Over the Yoshiwara Pleasure District)

preferred

full view

Performed at the Morita Theater from the first day of the eleventh month, 1771

1771

1771

Woodblock print.

Woodblock

Asia,East Asia,Japan

Hosoban; 31.2 x 14.8 cm

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, USA

1939.699

Frederick W. Gookin Collection

UNSIGNED

http://www.artic.edu/aic/rights/main.rights.html

Danjuro V is shown in the awesome aspect of the Esoteric Buddhist deity Fudo (the 'Immovable One'), one of the fierce Wisdom Kings (Myo-o) who were emanations of the Buddha Dainichi. The presentation is iconographically orthodox: Fudo stands on a rock surrounded by an aureole of angry red flames, holding in one hand a demon-quelling sword (riken) and in the other a five-colored rope with which he checks iniquity (kensaku). Fearsome of aspect, Fudo is the implacable enemy of evil and the protector of those engaged in Buddhist ascetic practices.An illustration (see 'The Actor's Image' catalogue, No. 56C, p.168) from Yakusha Kuni no Hana (Prominent Actors of Japan) shows the spectacular tableau of actor-deities that composed the finale of the first part of the opening-of-the-season (kaomise) production at the Morita Theater in 1771: Danjuro V, on the central cloud, is accompanied by his child-attendants Kongara Doji (right, played by Bando Mitsugoro I) and Seitaka Doji (left, played by Nakamura Sukegoro II). The evil courtier they have come to punish is Ikazuchi Shinno, Prince of Thunder, played by Sawamura Kijuro I (far left). This suggests that the present hosoban print of Danjuro V as Fudo may originally have formed part of a multisheet composition, perhaps flanked by Kongara and Seitaka in a triptych.We today may experience a slight sense of disjunction at seeing a familiar Buddhist deity, posed and accoutered like a thirteenth-century temple statue, but bearing Danjuro V's utterly distinctive features,familiar from so many other stage portrayals. But to theater-goers of the eighteenth century this would not have seemed anomalous. The association between the Danjuro acting line and Fudo is said to have originated with a pledge to serve the deity made by Danjuro I at the Fudo temple in Narita, upon the birth of his son Danjuro II in 1688. Danjuro I indeed regarded himself as a living embodiment of Fudo Myo-o; furthermore, this deity provided a perfect vehicle for the aragoto (rough stuff) acting techniques that were the specialty of the Ichikawa family. The role was performed by all subsequent generations of Danjuro actors, and the play Fudo was selected as one of the Eighteen Great Plays of the Danjuro lineage (Kabuki J?hachiban) by Danjuro VII in 183.The performance at the Morita Theater in the eleventh month of 1771 marked Danjuro V's first appearance after his promotion to head of the theater troupe (za-gashira), and Kabuki Nempyo records that the occasion was celebrated by the rhythmic hand-clapping of groups of Danjuro's fans in different parts of the theater.The orange lead pigment (tan) of the rock and Danjuro V's hair and jewels has tarnished, but otherwise the colors are relatively fresh and unfaded.

AIC_.E19680.TIF