Title : Fuwa Banzaemon, Nagoya Yamasaburö and Takagi Umanosuke

Artist : Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Date : 1852

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : The historical figure of Fuwa Banzaemon was a servant of Hideyoshi’s son, Toyotomi Hidetsugu. Banzaemon was known for his good looks. In the Kabuki story Sayaate (Rivalry ), Banzaemon and Nagoya Yamasaburö compete for the love of the courtesan Katsuragi. After Bazaemon murders Yamasaburö’s father, Yamasaburö kills Banzaemon. Kuniyoshi creates a gruesome, yet comic scene: in a weed-infested, dilapidated temple, a bloated ghost with bulging eyes hovers over Nagoya Yamasaburö (the central figure wearing a green and blue kimono). On the left sits an ancient golden Buddha. Behind the Buddha lies a deserted graveyard with a large head lying in the center. Some scholars have speculated that the popularity of such supernatural tales in the late Edo period reflected the uncertainty of the public about the unstable shogunate and the frequent arrivals of foreign ships and people. "Imagination, Power Humor: The Art of Utagawa Kuniyoshi" 10/14/2010 - 12/19/2010 ****************************************

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