FUNA BENKEI
(船辨慶)

                   
Ichikawa Yaozô VII (市川八百蔵) as
Musashibô Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶)

Ichimura Uzaemon XV (市村羽左衛門) as
Taira no Tomomori (平知盛)/Shizuka Gozen (静御前)

Onoe Kikugorô VI (尾上菊五郎) as
Hangan Yoshitsune (判官義経)

Play: Funa Benkei (船弁慶)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 10/17/03
Print Date: 10/1903
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada III (歌川国貞)
Image courtesy of the National Theatre of Japan
 
 
 
 

                
Plays:  Matsu no Sakae Chiyoda no Shintoku (松栄千代田神徳); Funa Benkei (船弁慶);
Kamiko Jitate Ryômen Kagami (紙子仕立両面鑑); Koharu-ji Kabuki Nigiwai (小春時歌舞伎賑)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 10/17/03
Print Date: 10/29/03
Artist: ?
Medium: Woodblock printed  sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
Note: The cover depicts Kataoka Gatô  III (片岡 我當) as Yorozuya Sukeroku (萬屋助六) in Kamiko Jitate
Ryômen Kagami (紙子仕立両面鑑).  The other figure is as yet unidentified.
 
 

                 
 
Plays: Nachi no Taki Chikai no Mongaku (那智瀧祈誓文覚); Ejima Ikushima  (江島生島);
Funa Benkei (船辨慶); Satsuma Odori (薩摩踊)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 09/01/16
Print Date: 09/1916?
Artist: Torii Kiyotada (鳥居清忠)
Medium: Woodblock printed ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
Note: The cover depicts Sawamura Sônosuke I (沢村宗之助; 澤村宗之助) as Kesa Gozen
(袈裟御前),  Ichikawa Kodanji V (市川小団次; 市川小團次) as Kinugawa (衣川), and Matsumoto
Kôshirô VII (松本幸四郎) as Mongaku Shônin (文覚上人; 文覺上人) in Nachi no Taki Chikai no
Mongaku (那智瀧祈誓文覚); and Onoe Matsusuke IV (尾上松助) as Tatsuma Saburôbei (達摩三郎兵衛),
Sawamura Sôjûrô VII (沢村宗十郎; 澤村宗十郎) as Ikushima Shingorô (生島新五郎), and Onoe Baikô
VI (尾上梅幸) as Ejima (江島) in Ejima Ikushima  (江島生島).
 
 

               
[Ghost of] Taira Tomomori (平知盛)

Play: Funa Benkei (船弁慶)
Print Date: 1925-1926
Artist: Hasegawa Sadanobu III (長谷川貞信)
Series:  Kabuki Kumadori Hyakumenshû
(歌舞伎 隈取百面種), Vol. ?
Personal Collection
 
 
 

                    
Plays: Kama-ga-Fuchi Futatsu Domoe (釜淵双級巴);  Chôryô Heisho no Tamamono (張良兵書賜);
Hizakurige (膝栗毛); Funa Benkei (船辨慶); [Miss Ruth Page Dance] Ruusu Pêji Joshi Buyô
(ルウス・ペエヂ女史舞踊)
Performance Place: Teikoku Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date:  10/02/28
Print Date: 10/1928?
Artist: ?
Medium: Woodblock printed ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
 
 
 

Plays: Nakoso no Seki (なこその関); Na mo Tachibana Homare no Ishikiri (名橘誉石切); 
Funa Benkei (船弁慶); Kozaru Shichinosuke (小猿七之助)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date:  01/02/32
Print Date: 01/1932?
Artist: ?
Medium: Machine lithograph printed? ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Shôchiku Ôtani Library
 
 
 

                    
Plays: Nakoso no Seki (なこその関); Na mo Tachibana Homare no Ishikiri (名橘誉石切);
Funa Benkei (船弁慶); Kozaru Shichinosuke (小猿七之助)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date:  01/02/32
Print Date: 01/1932?
Artist: ?
Medium: Machine lithograph printed? ehon sujigaki back cover
Image courtesy of the Shôchiku Ôtani Library
 
 
 

Plays: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵; 假名手本忠臣蔵); Funa Benkei ( 船弁慶)    
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date:  10/31/37
Print Date: 10/1937
Artist: ?
Medium: Machine lithograph printed? ehon sujigaki cover
Image courtesy of the Shôchiku Ôtani Library
 
 
 

                    
Plays: Kanadehon Chûshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵; 假名手本忠臣蔵); Funa Benkei ( 船弁慶)    
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date:  10/31/37
Print Date: 10/1937?
Artist: ?
Medium: Machine lithograph printed? ehon sujigaki back cover
Image courtesy of the Shôchiku Ôtani Library
 

                   
Futari Tomomori no Kuma (二人知盛ノ隈)

Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Print Date: 1941
Artist: Ueno Tadamasa (上野忠雅)
Series: Kumadori Jûhachiban (隈取十八番)
Personal Collection
 

                   
Bandô Hikosaburô VII (坂東彦三郎) as
Benkei (弁慶)

Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Performance Place: Tôkyô Gekijô, Tokyo
Performance Date: 11/05/46
Print Date: 03/1952
Artist: Natori Shunsen (名取春仙)
Series: Shinpan Butai no Sugata-e
[New Version of Figures on the Stage]
(新版舞台之姿絵)
Image courtesy of Hanga.com
 
 
 
 

                   
[Ghosts Appearing at Daimotsu-no-ura] 
Daimotsunoura Bôrei (大物の浦平家の亡霊)

Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Print Date: 1973
Artist: Mori Yoshitoshi (森義利)
Medium: Stencil print (ed. 50)
Image courtesy of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
 
 

                   
Tomomori (知盛)

Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Print Date: 1977
Artist: Mori Yoshitoshi (森義利)
Medium: Stencil print (ed. 50)
 
 

                   
Nakamura Tomijûrô V (中村富十郎) as
Shizuka Gozen (静御前)

Play: Funa Benkei (船弁慶)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 10/23/80
Print Date: 10/11/80
Artist: Tsuruya Kokei (弦屋光溪)
Series: [Bust Portraits II (Design 2)]
Daini-ki Ôkubi-e Shirîzu no 2
(第二期大首絵シリーズの2)
Personal Collection (#14/36)

Note: 5 copies from the edition of 36 were destroyed by the artist.
 
 
 
 

                   
Kamakura Gongorô Kagemasa (鎌倉権五郎景政)

Play: Shibaraku (暫)
Print Date: 1982
Artist: Clifton Karhu
Title: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Personal Collection (AP; ed. 100)
 
Note: The figure in the lower right would appear to be the ghost of Taira-no-Tomomori (平知盛) in
Funa Benkei (船辨慶).  It is possible that the figure at the lower left is Ôboshi Yuranosuke
(大星由良之助) in Kanadehon Chushingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵; 假名手本忠臣蔵).  This particular AP is
actually dated 1983, which could either mean it was dated by hand when it was sold after the edition
was made in 1982 or the 1982 publication date (which came from a dealer's website) was in error.
 
 
 

                   
Taira no Tomomori (平知盛)

Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Print Date: 1985
Artist: Mori Yoshitoshi (森義利)
Medium: Stencil print (ed. 1)
Image courtesy of the Ronin Gallery
 
 

Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
 
Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Print Date: 1996
Artist: Takahashi Hiromitsu
(髙橋宏光)
Medium: Kappazuri (ed. 17)
Image courtesy of the Ren Brown
Collection
 
 

                 
Arawaka (***)
 
Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Print Date: c. 1996
Artist: Takahashi Hiromitsu
(髙橋宏光)
Medium: Kappazuri (ed. 17)
Image courtesy of the Ren Brown Collection

                 
[Ghost of Taira-no-Tomomori (平知盛)] Naginata (薙刀)
 
[Benkei (弁慶) with Buddhist prayer beads] Juzu (数珠)
 
Play: Funa Benkei (船辨慶)
Print Date: 2001
Artist: Takahashi Hiromitsu (髙橋宏光)
Medium: Kappazuri (ed. 16)
Image courtesy of the Tolman Collection Tokyo
 
 

               
[Ghost of] Taira Tomomori (平知盛)

Play: Funa Benkei (船弁慶)
Print Date: ?
/Artist: Hasegawa Sadanobu III (長谷川貞信)
Series:  Kabuki Kumadori Shû (歌舞伎隈取集)
Courtesy of Artelino.com