Comment - Kabuki triptych with a scene inside a kite shop. An incredible array of kites of all shapes and sizes decorates the interior, many featuring portraits of actors in character. At right, a worker gathers the many bridle lines attached to a light blue Edo kite with a white kanji character on it, bundles of string and a pair of scissors on the floor nearby. He grimaces over his shoulder at a mother and daughter looking at his wares. At left, a boy with a curious grin carries a smaller kite with a reel of sting attached to it. In the center, a large rectangular kite of Daruma leans against the wall beneath a yakko-dako or man kite and another of a bird-of-prey with a fish caught in its beak. At upper left, another kite takes the form of an octopus holding a folding fan, a dotted towel tied around its head.
The title of this print is written on the red-white-green cassette upper right side on the right panel. Identified kabuki actors are Sawamura Totsushō (沢村訥升), Arashi Kanmuri Gorō (嵐冠五郎), Nakamura Shikan (中村芝翫), and Ichimura Kakitsu (市村家橘) (all on right panel).

see consecutively numbered kites

Left panel

		Kites
1	-	octopus kite ("tako tako","鮹凧"  or "たこカイト") with a white fan and two kanji characters ("Gi Sho", may be a name); a dotted towel is tied around its head
2	-	Edo kite ("Edo-tako", "江戸凧") with a malicious grinning face, two feet (yellowish) directly attached to the monster
3	-	Edo kite (only lower half to be seen) with blue kanji character on white background ("Kanji kite", "ji tako", "字凧")
4	-	Figure kite, representing a yakko (but not a yakko kite) with a straw hat, offering a box
5	-	Edo kite with a red coloured man, be "Sakata Kintoki" ("坂田 金時"), the grown-up version of "Kintarō" ("金太郎"), the "Golden Boy", a folk hero from Japanese folklore
6	-	A colourful Edo kite standing on the ground and leaning on the wall; decorated with two kabuki actors representing warriors; the lower actor with red stripes, representing anger
7	-	Edo kite with a rice straw decorated penis, held by a sitting person
8	-	Edo kite with a white kanji character on blue background ("Kanji kite", "ji tako", "字凧")
		Signature - Kunichika ga (国周画, as of center and left sheets)

Center panel

		Kites
9	-	Bird-of prey kite ("tonbi dako", "鳶凧") with a caught fish in its beak; "鳶" ("tonbi") is the Japanese "Black Kite" (common bird-of-prey)
10	-	Kite with a white face and black hat, directly behind the bird-of-prey kite
11	-	Edo kite with kabuki actors, representing a female and a male character
12	-	A Yakko kite ("yakko dako", "奴凧") with diamond shaped crests on the sleeves
13	-	Edo kite  with blue diagonal stripes and a lage red chrysantemum, the imperial Symbol and National flower of Japan
14	-	Edo kite with a large Daruma face
15	-	A small Edo kite with white kanji character on a blue background (Kanji kite, "ji tako", "字凧"); the kite is partly concealed by a large yellow box
		Signature - Kunichika ga (国周画, as of center and left sheets)

Right panel -

		Kites
16	-	Edo kite  with two male kabuki characters, one carrying a fan, the other one carrying a drum
17	-	Edo kite with a kabuki actors portrait, carrying a big sword
18	-	Edo kite with a female character
19	-	Edo kite with a blue cross-triped pattern and a red sun symbol in the center; the sun carries a kanji character
20	-	Edo kite with green background and a red sword above, and a red cassette with three kanji characters
21	-	small Edo kite with a kabuki actors portrait
22	-	Edo kite with white character on light blue background (Kanji kite, "ji tako", "字凧"); the Edo is completely rigged with twelve bridle lines
23	-	small kite with white kanji on red background, nearly completely concealed behind a big box, a tea pot, and the cassette with KUNICHIKAS signature
		Signature - Ôju Kunichika ga ( 応需国周画, only on right sheet)

Series - ~


Artist - see Biography


Signature - (see above panel descriptions)


Publisher - Iseya Tōkichi (伊勢屋藤吉), Daikyō Publisher's (大京堂), cf. seal;  Blockcutter Katada Chôjirô (HoriChô, 彫長),  cf. seals


Image Size - 71.6  X 36.2 cm   (28 1/4" x 14 1/4")


Condition - triptych, three panels attached at the seams; nishiki-e (cloured woodblock); Vertical ôban (ôban tate-e);