Comment - Triptych showing two beauties with a group of children in a parody of the famous "Tale of the Soga Brothers" (曽我物語, Soga monogatari). The two brothers SOGA Gorô and SOGA Jûrô, seek KUDô Suketsune, who had killed their father in 1176, in order to kill him and revenge their father. The Story is based on a true historical incident of 1193. Finally they succeded in avenging their father, but Jûrô, however, was killed in the fighting. Nevertheless, during the course of these Samurai based clashes, the surving brother on request of the murderer's son (KUDô Inubômaru) to the Shogun (MINAMATO no Yoritomo), SOGA Gorô was formally executed.

The story gave rise to numerus stories with much variation and elaboration, including storytelling performance, recitative dance (kôwaka mai), illustrated books, paintings and woodblocks, Noh and Kabuki plays, as well as bunraku puppet theatre and other kinds of arts.

The scene depicted is the New Year's party given by Lord Suketsune, here represented by the boy sitting on a cushion at right. SOGA Gorô, the younger brother, is shown as the boy at left wearing a butterfly print robe and holding a broken offering tray, while the child in the center appears as the older brother SOGA Jûrô, extending a hand to calm his brother. Their friend, the strongman Asahina, is represented by the boy at right holding an Edo kaku ("Edo-kaku", "江戸角"), which has a crane on it, the traditional motif of Asahina's kimono. A kite spool is below his feet. Flying kites is a typical pastime for boys, often connected to New Year. The beauty in the center holds a decorative battledore for a New Year's game similar to badminton (Hanetsuki), while the woman at left exclaims over a flowering pheasant's eye or "Adonis" flower pot, a favorite plant associated with the New Year holiday.

This print maybe a preliminary proof for a more elaborate print, held by the Honolulu Museum of Art (same title cassette, same publisher seal, same signature, same persons, but different background)


Series -


Artist - see Biography


Signature - drawn by Yōshū Chikanobu (Yōshū Chikanobu-hitzu, 楊洲周延筆)


Publisher - Yokoyama Ryohachi (横山良八) (seal with adjoining small carvers seal "Hori Gin")


Image Size - 70.2cm X  35.2cm   (27 5/8" x 13 7/8")


Condition - triptych, three single panels without seems; nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);