Background
Hiragana seisuiki ("Simple chronicle of the rise and fall of the Heike and Genji") was based on the medieval Genpei seisuiki, a tale of the wars between the Heike (Taira) and Genji (Minamoto) clans in 1184. The warrior Higuchi Jirô Kanemitsu is in disguise as the boatman Matsuemon, maneuvering for revenge against the Genji general Minamoto no Yoshitsune who has slain Matsuemon’s lord, the Heike general Kiso Yoshinaka.
Actor prints commemorating performances in Ise are exceptionally rare. The appearance of Osaka superstars in regional theaters would, of course, stir up enormous excitement in Ise, but whether the locals had the artists and workshops to produce these nishiki-e is still a matter of debate. It is possible that such sophisticated images were actually made in Osaka for distribution in Ise. This print marks the occasion of celebrated actors traveling to Ise to take part in festival productions in the third month, including kabuki performances. The inscription at the upper right reads Ise Naka no Jizô ô-shibai oatari kyôgen ("A great hit performance in the big theater, Naka no Jizô, in Ise"). The repeated emblem in the background is a tachibana (mandarin orange blossom), the crest of Rikan II.
大判（36.2 x 25.6 cm)
伊勢参りを描いた役者絵、非常に稀なもの。
摺り、色共最上。（着衣は大変珍しい色の混合）保存状態良。（絵師と版元印に極少滲みあり。裏打なし。若干の擦れあと。シワ、極少窪み。）
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