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The Priest Shunkan Watching Enviously from Kikai Island as Yasuyori is Unexpectedly Pardoned and Returned to the Capital

Information

Title The Priest Shunkan Watching Enviously from Kikai Island as Yasuyori is Unexpectedly Pardoned and Returned to the Capital Shunkan sōzu ni oite Kikaijima tamatama Yasunori no shamen senbo kito no zu 俊寛僧都於鬼界嶋偶々康頼之赦免羨慕帰都之圖
Date 14/12/1885
Publisher Matsui Eikichi (Kakuhakudō) 松井栄吉 (画博堂)
Woodcarver Negishi Naoyama 根岸直山
City Tokyo
Signature Yoshitoshi 芳年
Artist seal Taiso 大蘇
Inscription

(in left margin)

御届明治十九年五月十日 otodoke Meiji jūkyū nen go gatsu tōka Submitted in Meiji year 19, month 5, day 10

画工　浅草須賀丁二番地　月岡米次郎 gakō Asakusa Sugachō 2-banchi Tsukioka Yonejirō image created by: (Yoshitoshi’s address) Tsukioka Yonejirō*

出版人　深川西森下丁七番地　松井栄吉 shuppanjin Fukagawa Nishi-Morishitachō 7-banchi Matsui Eikichi publisher (Publisher’s address) Matsui Eikichi

彫工根岸直山 horikō Negishi Naoyama blockcutter Negishi Naoyama

*Yonejirō was Yoshitoshi’s official name
Width 26 cm
Height 38 cm
Object number SH2018-DM-124
Credit Line Collection Japan Museum SieboldHuis, gift of Muck and Mieke Douma, 2018

Description

From a set of at least 15 historical subjects in the vertical diptych format. This format is sometimes referred to as kakemono-e (hanging scroll pictures), because of its elongated shape that is suitable for hanging scroll mountings.

Shunkan (c. 1143–1179) was a Buddhist monk who was exiled along with his co-conspirators from the imperial capital of Kyoto to Kikai Island after a failed attempt to overthrow the Grand Minister of the State (daijō-daijin) Taira no Kiyomori (1118–1181). Shunkan is mentioned in the Tale of the Heike and the Kikai Island mentioned in the epic is presumably the island with the phonetically same name near present day Okinawa. When his fellow exiles were suddenly pardoned and allowed to return to Kyoto, Shunkan was left alone on the island and fell into despair. Shunkan was a recurring figure in the popular kabuki theatre.