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The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, Representing One of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road (Mitate Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi Okabe neko ishi no yurai): Actors Sawamura Sojûrô V (?) as Teranishi Kanshin (R), Onoe Kikugorô III as the Cat Monster (C), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Ôe Inabanosuke (L)


「見立東海道五十三次岡部猫石の由来」 「寺西関心」五代目沢村宗十郎ヵ  三代目尾上菊五郎の猫石の精  「大江因幡之助」十二代目市村 羽左衛門
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797–1861)
Publisher: Yama-Ku (2) (Japanese)
Japanese
Edo period
1847 (Kôka 4), 7th month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions Vertical ôban triptych; 36.5 x 73.6 cm (14 3/8 x 29 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.41806a-c
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

Catalogue Raisonné The Life of Animals in Japanese Art (2019), #129; MFA, Kuniyoshi & Kunisada (2016), #17; Hiraki Ukiyo-e Foundation, Nyan to mo neko darake/ Cats of Many Varieties (2012), #172
DescriptionMFA impressions: 11.28742-4 (with censors' seals), 11.41806a-c (without censors' seals)

Play: Onoe Kikugorô Ichidai Banashi
Theater: Ichimura
尾上梅寿一代噺( おのえきくごろういちだいばなし)
市村
Signed Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga (on each sheet)
一勇斎国芳画
Marks No censor's seal
No blockcutter's mark
Unidentified publisher's mark
改印:なし
彫師:なし
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850–d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 19, 2005)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.