Harasuji ōmuseki 腹筋逢夢石

FSC-GR-780.739.1-2

Commentary by Satō Satoru　

Posted March 20, 2018
Original unedited text in Japanese follows

The first volume of this illustrated book was initially published in 1809 (Bunka) by Igaya Kan’emon 伊賀屋勘右衛門 (Bunkidō 文亀堂).The preface cites works such as 笠翁伝奇十種 (Ten fictional tales by old man Ryū) by Ri Gyo 李漁 (Ch.Li Yu) as the source of the title of this work; however, it is in fact based on a small, simplified kabuki script book known as ōmuseki (鸚鵡石) that was sold at performances. Ōmuseki (literally, “parrot stones”) were how-to-mimicry books that employed lines from kabuki plays. As the title prefix (tsunogaki) Tori kedamono uomushi sōmoku kibutsu miburi kowairo 鳥獣魚虫草木器物介科口技 (Vocal techniques and gestures for mimicking birds, animals, fish, insects, plants, and things) indicates, this was also a type of parlor game in which participants employed various props to express the gestures and movements of birds, animals, fish, and even objects. They imagined in a comical and playful manner what these types of non-speaking creatures and things might say and think. [2] This manner of expression using a performer’s lines can be seen in the 1786 (Tenmei 6) sharebon, Kyakushu kimo kagami 客衆肝照子 (Mirror of the punter’s pluck), but it was most likely inspired by the popularity of the humorous books (kokkeibon) by Shikitei Sanba (1776–1822) and others.

Utagawa Toyokuni I produced sixteen illustrations for the first volume and seventeen for the second. Each vividly captures the various states of imitation, matching perfectly with the spoken words. The second volume is of additional interest due to the integration into the image frame of haiku by poets such as Takarai Kikaku 宝井其角 (1661–1707) and Ochi Etsujin 越智越人(1656–1739), as well as haiku and kyōka by Santō Kyōden 山東京伝 (1761–1816), Kantei Denshō 関亭伝笑 (dates unknown), Santō Kyōzan 山東京山 (1769–1858), and others.

Roughly concurrent with Harasuji ōmuseki (Parrot stones for the belly muscles) the publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi 西村屋与八 (Eijudō 永寿堂) issued ten ukiyo-e printsin a similar vein with images by Toyokuni and text Santō Kyōden. In 1810 (Bunka 7) the publisher Igaya Kan’emon released a work with an analogous concept as Harasuji ōmuseki entitled Zashikigei chūshingura 座敷芸忠臣蔵 (Arts of the parlor: a treasury of loyal retainers) with a title prefixreading Harasuji ōmuseki yokyō 腹筋逢夢石余興 (Harasuji ōmuseki entertainment). The text in this work was also by Kyōden and the illustrations by Toyokuni.

書名　腹筋逢夢石
執筆者佐藤悟

初編が文化六年（1809）に伊賀屋勘右衛門から刊行された絵本で、全四編からなる。当コレクションには二編まで所蔵されるが、初編は初版本で、元題簽が残っている。二編は書肆名などが削られた改修本である。序文では書名について李漁の『笠翁伝奇十種』などをあげつらっているが、歌舞伎の上演ごとに売り出された科白の抜書集である鸚鵡石に基づく。鸚鵡石は役者の声色を習うためのもので、役者の口真似をするのが当時流行していた。「鳥獣魚虫草木器物介科口技」という角書があるように、人間が鳥や動物、魚、器物などの身振りを、様々な小道具を使って表現し、その時に物言わぬ彼らがどのようなことを考えているかを、それぞれの役柄のせりふ風に面白おかしく語らせるという、座敷芸の一種である。登場人物を科白によって表現する方法は、天明六年(1786)に刊行された洒落本『客衆肝照子』に見ることができるが、三馬らによる滑稽本の盛行に触発された企画であろう。豊国の挿絵は初編に16図、二編に17図あり、物真似の様子を生き生きとしてとらえ、語られる言葉と見事に合致している。二編の画面には其角や越人など個人の発句や京伝、関亭伝笑、山東京山らの発句・狂歌を添えて興を増している。

本書とほぼ同時に、本書と同趣向の豊国作、京伝画賛の浮世絵10点が西村屋与八から刊行されている。文化七年には「腹筋逢夢石余興」という角書を持つ似た発想の『座敷芸忠臣蔵』（京伝作、豊国画、伊賀屋板）が刊行された。

Selected readings:
Hayashi Yoshikazu 林美一, ed., Harasuji ōmuseki 『腹筋逢夢石』(Tokyo: Kawade Shobō Shinsha, 1984).　

Hayashi Yoshikazu 林美一, ed., Zashikigei chūshingura 『座敷芸忠臣蔵』(Tokyo: Kawade Shobō Shinsha, 1985).

Tabako to Shio no Hakubutsukan, ed.,Kansei no shuppankai to Santō Kyōden『寛政の出版界と山東京伝』(Tokyo: Tabako to Shio no Hakubutsukan, 1995).

Copies in other collections:
Kyoto University
National Diet Library, Tokyo
Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library
Tamagawa University Library, Tokyo
Tenri Library, Nara

[1] The first and second volumes were released in 1809 and the third and fourth volumes in 1807.
[2] Tsunogaki are shorts texts placed above the title thatprovide supplementary information.

Harasuji ōmu seki shohen