11 Utagawa Kunisada 1786 – 1865 Satsuma Gengobei and the Geisha Koman

from the series Oatsuraeori Satsuma no Shingata (New Style Hero from Satsuma)
publisher: Iseya Kanekichi

Two surviving sheets from the original triptych depict a tense moment between Satsuma Gengobei and his lover, the geisha Koman of the Sakuraya teahouse, from the celebrated kabuki play Oatsuraeori Satsuma no Shingata, performed in the summer of 1856 at the Nakamura-za Theatre in Edo. The play, written by Namiki Gohei I in 1792 for the Osaka stage, was first illustrated by Kunisada in 1833.

Also known under the title Godairiki, the story recounts the tragic relationship between the warrior Gengobei and the beautiful geisha whose attempt to retrieve a stolen sword leads to jealousy and murder. Kunisada skillfully captures the psychological tension between the pair – Koman reaches for a rope while Gengobei, seated in rigid silence with his gaze turned aside, seems to sense betrayal. The pair of swords placed behind him on a shelf subtly alludes to his samurai status and the impending tragedy. The symbolic motifs of crossed radishes and a jellyfish further underscore the fatal rupture. Kunisada’s masterful drawing, refined colour harmony, and expressive gestures make this work a remarkable example of his late style.