A rare print by Kitagawa Utamaro showing a woman sitting on a go board, using her hands and a foot to help a child dance, while the woman in the rear narrates the story.

$5,000 (¥540,000)








Print 6-10: Raiko's Retainers Playing Go
Oban triptych by Kuniyoshi, published by Yamaguchiya Tobei in 1861.

Although published in the year of Kuniyoshi's death, this print is judged to have been designed in the later half of the 1830s because of his signature and touch. Sakata no Kintoki is on the right playing a black stone, Usui Sadamitsu is watching, and Watanabe no Tsuna is on the left. An amusing detail of prints on this subject is that the players are shown as being so engrossed in their game that the goblins seem no more than a trivial nuisance, hardly worse than those kibitzers in a go club who keep breathing down your neck while they point out your mistakes.

$5,000 (¥540,000)


Print 7-13: Go-Board Tadanobu
Oban triptych by Kokunimasa Baido, published by Katada Chojiro in 1895.

A fantastic dipiction of the Tadanobu episode. Three of the hero's foes are dispatched with a single go board, while a fourth is about to receive the coup de grace.

$700 (¥75,000)


Print 10-6: Utanosuke Playing Go
Oban print by Kunisada (signing as Toyokuni III), published by Tsutaya Kichizo in 1861.

From the series Meigi Sanju-rokkasen (A Selection of Thirty-Six Famous Geisha). The haiku in the panel reads:

With the first move at go

the heat of this evening

is quite forgotten.

$400 (¥43,000)


Print 11-31: The Story of the White Go Stones of the Taihei Chronicles
Oban triptych by Utagawa Yoshitora, published by Yamadaya Shojiro 1856.

Taiheiki is a 40-volume history of the war between the Northern and Southern Courts which took place between 1336 and 1392. The drama The Story of the White Go Stones of the Taihei Chronicles (Go Taiheiki Shiraishi Banashi) dramatized two true stories from this history. It was written by Ki no Jotaro, Utei Emba, and three other writers for the puppet theater and performed for the first time in January 1780 in Edo. One of these stories was based a rebellion of ronins (masterless samurais) against the Tokugawwa Shogunate, so the names of the leaders Yui Shosestu and Marubashi Chuya were changed into Uji Joetsu and Marigase Shuya in the drama. The other story was a revenge taken by two sisters in Oshu Province for their father, a farmer who was killed by a samurai. The sisters were named Miyagino and Shinobu after place names in Oshu Province.

The whole drama was adapted for kabuki in April of the same year at the Morita Theater in Edo and gained popularity. After that only the story on revenge was repeatedly performed, and in these days the Daikokuya scene, in which the sisters meet again after a long time in Yoshiwara, is often performed. Daikokuya is named Daifukuya in the puppet theater and the both titles of the act are commonly called �eAgeya' (brothel).

These three prints depict the major scenes of the revenge story with titles for each. Because the names of the actors are not written and there is no record that the drama was performed in Edo during the five years before and after the publication, the prints are judged as a mitate-e, where that the artist draws an imaginary ideal casting. There are some differences in story and names between puppet and kabuki plays. The following is explains each scene in accordance with the puppet play.

1. Bottom of the right print �eThe Myojin Woods Scene'
Uji Hyobunosuke (later Joetsu, bottom right) is a ronin who is out to perfect his skill in the martial arts. He meets Kanae Yagoro (on the left), another ronin who is in the process of burying the head of his enemy in the ground and building a mound on it in Myojin Woods in Oshu Province. In the middle of a furious sword fight, they recognize that they belong to Southern Court and must be faithful to each other. They the part and promise to meet again.

2. Middle right of the center print �eRice Planting Scene'
Shiga Daishichi (the second on the right) is an evil local magistrate of Sakai Village. He obtains a scroll on the secrets of poison and a magic mirror that reflects what the owner wants to look at. He hides the magic mirror in a ridge between two rice fields, but Yomosaku (on the right), a farmer who has come to plant rice, finds it. After fighting for the mirror, Daishichi kills Yomosaku. While Onobu (later Shinobu), Yomosaku's younger daughter, and villagers are blaming Daishichi, they hear the news that the head of Daishichi's brother was found in Myojin Woods. Daishichi tells them that the murderer of his brother must have killed Yomosaku. He then leaves.

3. Top of right panel and upper right of the center panel �eSakai Village Scene'
Yagoro has been starying in Yomosaku's house since the previous night. Osayo, Yomosaku's wife, is pleased to know that he is the fiancee of her older daughter, Okino (Miyagino as a courtesan), but she cannot to tell him that Okino sold herself to Yoshiwara to save her family from poverty. While Yagoro goes out to buy a celebratory drink, Onobu and others carry Yomosaku's remains into his house. Because Osayo heard from Yagoro that he has passed a night in Myojin Woods, she thinks he killed her husband. When Yagoro gets back, Onobu tries to strike him, and Daishichi and his retainers surround Yagoro. But nobody can match him, so Daishichi runs away and his retainer confesses that Daishichi killed Yomosaku. Hyobunosuke, who has watched the course from outside, lets Daishichi pass in order to take the secret scroll from him and promises Onobu to help her and her sister take revenge. The prints depicts Onobu and Daishichi, who are surrounding Yagoro (center of right print), and Hyobunosuke (the far left), who is watching the fight from outside.

4. Middle of the right panel �eOkuyama Scene'
Onobu (the left) comes up to Edo in search of her sister after her mother dies from a disease. In Okuyama in Asakusa, she is about to be deceived by Kankuro (center), a man who sells young girls into brothels as an occupation. But Soroku (on the right), the master of a brothel Daifukuya in Yoshiwara, buys her from Kankuro and takes her into his brothel as his employee.

5. Upper left of the center panel �eYoshiwara Scene'
Daishichi, who has changed his name to Unoha Kuroemon, and Marigase Shuya come across each other at Daifukuya when calling on Miyagino, the most popular courtesan in Yoshiwara. They agree to accompany. Miyagino, who meets Onobu after a long time, hears everything from her sister and mourns. The sisters try to escape from the brothel, but Soroku, who overheard their conversation, persuades them to wait for a favorable opportunity, comparing the situation to�eSoga Monogatari', a famous story about revenge by two brothers. Miyagino goes to the room where Kuroemon and Shuya have waited for her, and she notices that Kuroemon is her enemy because of his Oshu dialect. Actually being Joetsu's comrade, Shuya approaches Kuroemon to take the secret scroll, so he cannot let the sisters take revenge until he achieves his aim. By Shuya's trick, Kuroemon thinks that Yogoro has pursued him, so he runs away. A deposit of 300 ryo to redeem Miyagino is delivered to Daifukuya from Joetsu, who heard the news. Soroku, whose real name is Shimada Saburobei, a ronin of Nitta Clan (a loyal retainer of the Southern Court), says that the money is unnecessary and lets Miyagino leave the brothel with Onobu. He returns the deed of her apprenticeship and gives them a pass for the only gate out of Yoshiwara. In this print, Soroku is persuading Miyagino (on the left) and Onobu (on the right), who is holding the book of �eSoga Monogatari.' Because this is the room of Miyagino, who is a courtesan at the height of her glory, there are fine furnishings. We can find the boards for go, shogi, and sugoroku, stacked in the back of the room.

6. Upper left of the left panel�ePractice Scene'

Onobu changes her name to Shinobu (in front). She is cared for in Joetsu's mansion and devotes herself to practicing martial arts under Joetsu's mistress, Osetsu (in the rear). Osetsu tells her that Joetsu has been friendly with Kuroemon because he has a deep thought.

7. Upper right of the left panel �eGodate Scene' (Godate is another term for fuseki)
Shuya visits Joetsu with Miyagino, and the two men play a game of go. Suggesting that the white stones symbolize revenge, so the black stones would represent Kuroemon, since kuro means �eblack'. Joetsu admonishes the others to refrain from immediately taking revenge, and comparing their revenge to a position in a game of go. Because Miyagino and Shinobu cannot understand his real intentions, they are about to leave his mansion. Using a magic of the mirror, Joetsu makes Kuroemon appear, and lets the sisters kill him, then makes them go back to Oshu. The real Kuroemon is pleased that Joetsu has made the sisters go and has found a good master, so he initiates Joetsu into the secrets of poison. After Kuroemon goes to Ougigayatsu to see his new master, the sisters, who hear Joetsu's real feelings, appear in costumes for revenge. A pole sword is given to Miyagino and a sickle chained to an iron ball to Shinobu. They then run after their enemy. The print depicts Joetsu (on the right side of the go board), Shuya (the left side), and Miyagino, watching the game.

8. Bottom of the center panel and left panel �eAct of Revenge'
In Ougigayatsu, Joetsu prepares the place for revenge. Kuroemon is chagrined at being deceived, but because he is pressured by Saburobei to be a witness, he reluctantly agrees. In front of Joetsu and Shuya, the three fight fiercely, and the sisters finally avenge their father's death. Joetsu, Shuya, and Saburobei become sworn brothers and swear to destroy the Northern Court. In this print, Miyagino (on the right) and Shinobu (on the left) attack Kuroemon (in the center), and Joetsu, Shuya, and Saburobei are watching in the rear.

$1,500 (¥160,000)