Chushingura Act III
Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese
Not on view
Utamaro uses the "E-kyodai" format here also to combine two scenes to humorous effect. Although both scenes in this work depict physical conflicts, they are conflicts of a radically different character. The upper cartouche contains a scene from "Chushingura," one of the most popular Kabuki plays, in which one feudal lord attacks another with a sword within the confines of Edo Castle, a grave breach of decorum that will lead to dire consequences. The conflict in the larger image, however, is merely a domestic love quarrel in which a man attempts to hit his nagging wife with a piece of kitchen equipment. In the spirit of jocular parody, Utamaro likens this petty household turmoil to the great tragic political drama "Chushingura."
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
