Title : Sawamura Tossho in the section 'Fire' 沢村訥升の火 / 木火土金水の内 / Ka 火

Artist : Utagawa Kunisada

Date : 1840

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Source : British Museum
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Description : Colour woodblock print, oban. The kabuki actor Sawamura Tossho I as the rabbit, striking a flint to make sparks as he chases after a tanuki badger carrying firewood on its back, from the folktale ‘Kachikachiyama’ (かちかち山), the second section of a five-part hengemono dance illustrating the ‘Five elements’ of wood, fire, earth, metal and water; this section illustrating ‘fire’ (火). The entire dance was called ‘Hina asobi wago no aisho’ (雛遊睦相生) (also read ‘Hina asobi wago no aioi’), performed at the Nakamura-za in the 3rd month of 1840 (Tenpo 11).

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