Posted by John Fiorillo on August 05, 2000 at 03:39:05:
In Reply to: Print of Ichikawa Monnosuke posted by Sheri B. on August 04, 2000 at 09:53:33:
Sheri,
There were eight actors who used the name Monnosuke, the first born in 1691, the most recent born in 1959. You do not say what type of print you have (is it Edo-period ukiyo-e, Meiji-period ukiyo-e, 20th C. shin hanga, modern?). It's nearly impossible with a general description to try to identify such a print. You would do best to post a picture if you have access to an internet website.
There is a character named Oshizu in the play 'Fubuki no hana oshizu reiza' (roughly meaning "A Flower in a Snowstorm: Oshizu and Reiza"; written by Kawatake Mokuami in 1867). The "flower" of the title is a celebrated beauty and 'shamisen' player named Oshizu. Still without further information or a picture I cannot say that your print depicts this character. Even if it does, the dating would be problematic because the 4th Monnosule died in 1862 and the fifth did not assume the name until 1870, so the performance would probably not be the original 1867 play at the Ichimura theater in Edo. The sixth Monnosuke did not take the name until 1910.
John