Hon (= N) Brigade, Third Group, Nihon'enoki: Actor Ichikawa Ebizô V (?) as Bashô Okina Tôsei, from the series Flowers of Edo and Views of Famous Places (Edo no hana meishô-e)

「江戸の花名勝会　本　三番組」　「二本榎」　「芭蕉翁桃青　市川寿海老」（五代目ヵ）

Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) (Japanese, 1786–1864)
Other artist: Kawanabe Kyôsai (Japanese, 1831–1889)
Publisher: Katôya Iwazô (Seibei) (Japanese)

Japanese

Edo period

1864 (Bunkyû 4/Genji 1), 2nd month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Dimensions Vertical ôban; 36 x 24.5 cm (14 3/16 x 9 5/8 in.)

Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection

Accession Number11.42491

NOT ON VIEW

CollectionsAsia, Prints and Drawings

ClassificationsPrints

DescriptionThe term “flowers of Edo” (Edo no hana) can refer, among other things, to fires. The title panel for each print in this series shows the lanterns and identifying standard (matoi) for one of the brigades of firefighters (hikeshi) assigned to various districts. On the west side of the Sumida River were 48 brigades named for the symbols of the kana syllabary and grouped into 8 numbered groups (1 to 10, minus the bad-luck numbers 4 and 7). On the east side of the river, brigades were numbered and assigned to directional groups. Outlying districts were covered by special brigades, here designated “extra” (bangai). Each title gives the name or number of a brigade, its group, and its district, followed by the kabuki scene chosen to match it.
二本榎。

(見立)

Signed Nanajûhassai Toyokuni hitsu (bottom center); Seisei Kyôsai (top); Kyôsai sha (bottom right)
七十八歳豊国筆、惺々狂斎、狂斎写

Marks Censor's seal: Rat 2 aratame
No blockcutter's mark
改印：子二改
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.