Ono Sadakuro, a Character From the Play "Chushin Meimei Kikigaki Zosho"

Vertical ōban. Dimensions: 14 ⅜ x 9 ½ in. (36.51 x 24.13 cm)

Artist’s signature: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga 一勇斎国芳画

Artist’s seal: (red kiri 桐)

Publisher’s seal: 小林 (vertical text in rectangle)

Censors’ seals: Muramatsu 村松, Yoshimura 吉村

Gift of Barry Rosensteel

The character Ono Sadakurō is a fictionalized portrayal of Ono Gunemon, the son of Ono Kurōbei who was involved in the 18th century Forty-Seven Ronin incident. Ono Kurōbei was one of the retainers of Lord Asano, but he refused to join the group of forty-seven other retainers who planned to avenge their lord by killing Lord Kira. He moved to Isobe in what is now Gunma Prefecture and lived a long and peaceful life as a respected teacher, and his son Gunemon followed in his footsteps, leading a quiet, respectable life. However, in the fictional Chūshingura plays based on the incident, Kurōbei was made into a treacherous villain, and his son was portrayed as a merciless thief and murderer. Source: Takeda Izumo, et al and Jukichi Inouye (translator). Chushingura, or Forty Seven Ronin. Tokyo: Maruzen Company Ltd. 1937. P. XXIV. https://books.google.com/books?id=FZ1JQwAACAAJ, opens in a new window (Accessed 3/16/2016)

This print is also held by the Waseda University Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum in Tokyo http://enpaku.waseda.ac.jp/db/enpakunishik/results-big.php?shiryo_no=100-0411, opens in a new window (Accessed 3/16/2016)