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Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Urabe Suetake, Onoe Matsusuke I as Usui Sadamitsu, and Nakamura Nakazo I as Watanabe no Tsuna in “The Four Heavenly Kings Costumed as the Night Watch”
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Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Urabe Suetake, Onoe Matsusuke I as Usui Sadamitsu, and Nakamura Nakazo I as Watanabe no Tsuna in “The Four Heavenly Kings Costumed as the Night Watch”

Katsukawa Shunzan (Japanese, active c. 1782–98), artist · 1781 · triptych of color woodblock prints

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

This triptych (a composition of three prints) shows actors portraying three of the four famed protectors of imperial regent Minamoto Yorimitsu (948?–1021). Collectively, they are known as his Shitennō (四天王), or “Four Heavenly Kings,” after the Buddhist deities who guard the four cardinal directions. The characters are indicated by the large house crests on their robes. The actor Onoe Matsusuke I’s identity is revealed by a fan with the ideograph matsu (松), or “pine,” tucked into his robe, just against his breastplate.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineIchikawa Monnosuke II as Urabe Suetake, Onoe Matsusuke I as Usui Sadamitsu, and Nakamura Nakazo I as Watanabe no Tsuna in “The Four Heavenly Kings Costumed as the Night Watch” (四天王宿直着綿 二代目市川門之助の卜部季末武、初代尾上松助の碓井貞光、初代中村仲蔵の渡辺綱), 1781. Katsukawa Shunzan (Japanese, active c. 1782–98). Triptych of color woodblock prints; overall: 31 x 14.5 cm (12 3/16 x 5 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from J. H. Wade, 1921.314
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