Background
Hana (or Hade) kurabe Ise monogatari ([花]競伊勢物語) (Colorful Rivalry, Tales of Ise 競伊勢物語), written by Nagawa Kamesuke I (奈河龜祐), premiered in 4/1775 in Osaka at the Naka Theater. The seven-act drama was based on the rivalry between two imperial princes, Koretaka (惟喬親王; 844–897) and Korehito (惟仁親王 850-881; later Emperor Seiwa 清和天皇), the first and fourth sons, respectively, of the Emperor Montoku (文徳天皇 827-858). The play was also linked to the famous Ise monogatari (Tales of Ise 伊勢物語), an anonymous tenth-century collection of 143 very brief episodes serving as fictional headnotes to 209 poems. Beyond these influences, there were two Chikamatsu Monzaemon (近松門左衛門 1653-1725) dramas, "Koretaka Korehito Kurai Arasoi" and "Izutsu Narihira Kawachi Gayoi," which were also influential in the creation of Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari.
Prince Koretaka was a historical figure, the eldest son of the Emperor Montoku, whose accession to the throne was foiled by guardians of his brother Prince Korehito. Koretaka abandoned his right to rule and took a monk's vows. Kabuki, however, transformed Koretaka into a villainous imperial prince (shinnô 親王) engaged in a relentless quest to capture the throne.
* Note: In the 11th lunar month of 1825, the actor Bandô Jûtarô changed one ideogram in his name from Jû (重太郎 serious) to Ju (寿太郎 longevity).
Design
This is a collaborative work (gassaku 合作) with Yoshikuni designing the right sheet and Kunihiro the left. The spirit flames (shinka 神火) of Saburô's father Ki no Natora (記ノ名虎) flicker on each sheet. A dynamic composition, Wadasaku stands before a large hole blasted through the wall behind him. The prints in our impression are large, with margins retained on the top and left sides and entire image areas intact.
This gassaku appears to be a rather uncommon design. We found only two complete impressions, one in Konan Women's University (see KNZ below) and the other in the Hendrick Lühl Collection (Essen, Germany; see SDK below).
References: IKBYS-I, no. 360 (R only);WAS-IV, no. 207 (R only); KNZ, no. 289 (complete); SDK, no. 406 (complete)
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