Moronao, Lord of Musashi, offering his verses to the Lady Kawoyo, wife of Yenya, number 1 from the series The Loyal League of Forty-seven Ronin (Uki-E Chushingura)
Katsukawa Shunsen, Japanese, about 1762 - 1830
after 1806
Color woodblock print on paper
Set of 11
Overall: 9 1/2 × 13 in. (24.1 × 33 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Claire E. and Dr. Frederick R. Mebel, Class of 1935
PR.975.18
Geography
Place Made: Japan, East Asia, Asia
Period
19th century
Object Name
Research Area
Not on view
Label
Act 1: At the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine: Because censorship laws prohibited references to contemporary events, Lord En’ya’s assault of Moronao required a premise different from the historical incident on which the play was based. In the foreground, Moronao, passes Lady Kaoyo (Lord En’ya’s wife) a love letter. When Lady Kaoyo refuses his advances, Moronao vows to undermine her husband’s honor. Date Wakanosuke, the young daimyo charged with ceremonial duties similar to En’ya, witnesses Moronao’s vow from behind a tree. The scene in the background provides the reason for Lady Kaoyo’s presence in the capital: Emperor Godaigo (1288–1339) presented Nitta Yoshisada (1301–1338) with a special helmet. Lady Kaoyo had been called to the capital to identify the helmet so it could be enshrined at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine after Nitta died in battle.
From the 2019 exhibition Narratives in Japanese Woodblock Prints, guest curated by Allen Hockley, Associate Professor of Art History at Dartmouth
Course History
ARTH 62.3, Japanese Prints, Allen Hockley, Winter 2019
ARTH 62.30/ASCL 62.12, Japanese Prints, Allen Hockley, Spring 2022
Art History 62.30, Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages 62.12, Japanese Prints, Allen Hockley, Spring 2023
Art History 62.30, Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages 62.12, Japanese Prints, Allen Hockley, Summer 2023
Exhibition History
Narratives in Japanese Woodblock Prints, Class of 1967 Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 27-June 9, 2019.
Palmer Lounge Cases, Hopkins Center Art Galleries, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 1975.
Provenance
Dr. Frederick Ronald Mebel (1913-1998) and Claire E. Mebel (1916-1994); Rockville Center, New York; given to present collection, 1975.
This record is part of an active database that includes information from historic documentation that may not have been recently reviewed. Information may be inaccurate or incomplete. We also acknowledge some language and imagery may be offensive, violent, or discriminatory. These records reflect the institution’s history or the views of artists or scholars, past and present. Our collections research is ongoing.
We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Please contact us at: Hood.Collections@dartmouth.edu