Sanza nasake no kayoiji 山三情の通路

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Commentary by Suzuki Jun

Posted June 2, 2017

Original unedited text in Japanese follows

This theatre picture-book (shibai ehon 芝居絵本) by Hishikawa Moronobu centers on a tale of the kabuki character Nagoya Sanza. It is printed entirely in black sumi ink, and the postscript lists the artist’s name as Yamato-eshi Hishikawa Kichibē jō 大和絵師菱川吉兵衛尉 (Yamato-e master, the old man Hishikawa Kichibē). The Pulverer copy of Sanza nasake no kayoiji (Sanza’s way of love) contains seventeen double-page illustrations.

The preface states that, “People speak about ‘The Seijū (Seijūrō) of the past, the Sanza (Sanzaburō) of today’ so [I] rendered this in pictures, added explanatory notes along the top of the images, and titled it Nasake no kayoi ezukushi (The way of passion shown in pictures).” The story of Sanzaburō is the source for the illustrations in this book but the Seijūrō in the preface refers to another event circulating at the time regarding the scandal surrounding the clandestine liaison between Onatsu, the daughter of the owner of the Tajimaya in Himeji, and the clerk Seijūrō. The description of the Sanzaburō tale included in the upper register of each double-page opening corresponds with the illustration below.

In the tale Sanza is accompanied by his retainer Umezu Kamon, and the two men are pictured together in many of the illustrations. Sanza enters into an amorous liaison with the courtesan Katsuragi of the Shimabara pleasure quarter in Kyoto. He is confronted by his rival in love, Hanzaemon, and the book illustrates the various scenes leading to Hanzaemon’s subsequent defeat. The designs are richly varied, giving us a glimpse into the portrayal of the “floating world” (ukiyo) of Shimabara courtesans. Other highlights include the transformation of Sanza from a youth (wakashu) to a masterless samurai brandishing the Tanzen-style haircut of a kyōkaku (“chivalrous street knight”), and the dynamic scene of bloodshed resulting from their rivalry in love.

The character of Nagoya Sanza became increasing popular as seen in the group of ko-jōruri (old jōruri) and kabuki plays collectively known as Fuwa Nagoya mono 不破名古屋物. The source for this illustrated book is thekojōruri piece, Nagoya Sanzaburō (名古屋山三郎; Enpō era, 1673–1681); the Pulverer copy was formerly owned by the French art historian and critic Louis Gonse (1846–1921).

書名山三情の通路

執筆者鈴木淳

伝説的なかぶき者名古屋山三の伝説に取材した、菱川師宣の芝居絵本。墨摺。絵師署名「大和絵師菱川吉兵衛尉」。絵は見開き一七図。落丁あり。序に「むかしの清十に今山三抔いへば、それを絵にして上にことはりを書加へ、なさけのかよひ絵つくしとする也」（昔の清十、今の山三というので、それを絵にして、上部に説明書きを加え、「情けの通い絵尽くし」と名付けた）とあり、当時、姫路の但馬屋の娘お夏と手代清十郎の密通事件として伝えられる清十郎と話題を二分した、山三郎の伝説に基づく本絵本の成立の経緯について述べている。物語に沿った絵本で、上段に該当部分の筋書きが記される。内容は、山三が梅津かもんを連れて嶋原の遊女葛城（かづらき）と恋仲になり、恋敵の伴左衛門に襲われるが、その後、伴左衛門を成敗するまでの諸場面を描く。絵柄は変化に富み、島原の遊女風俗描写はもとより、山三の若衆から侠客風（丹前風）の髪型の浪人姿への変身や、恋の鞘当ての果ての躍動的な刃傷沙汰も見所。名古屋山三は、いわゆる不破名古屋物として、当時、古浄瑠璃、歌舞伎などに盛んに仕組まれて人気を集めた。本絵本の典拠は古浄瑠璃『名古屋山三郎』とされる。本コレクション本は、ルイ・ゴンス旧蔵。

Selected readings:

Asano Shūgō浅野秀剛, “(Kyasha) otokonasake no yūjo 「(きゃしゃ）男なさけの遊女」, Daiei Hakubutsukan 3『大英博物館』, vol. 3, Hizō ukiyo-e taikan『秘蔵浮世絵大観』, ed. Narasaki Muneshige楢崎宗重, 16 vols. (Tokyo: Kōdansha, 1988).

Copies in other collections:

British Museum, London

National Diet Library, Tokyo