Kunisada: Ichikawa Danjuro VII with Elaborate Robe Featuring Benkei

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) Title: Ichikawa Danjuro VII with Elaborate Robe featuring Neck-Wrestling Benkei Series: Eiyu  mitate junin otoko (Prosperous Actors of Kabuki as Ten Dandy Men) Date: Ca. 1848 Benkei Dazaemon looks left as he holds his towel and allows the viewer to admire his kimono. It seems to be Sawamura Sojuro V playing this role. We see Benkei’s famous seven weapons forming the edge of the title cartouche. The upper part of his kimono is decorated with  a rushing mountain stream and clouds. The bottom half of the kimono has a scene of the princess playing a game of kubi-hiki (neck-wrestling) with the young Benkei, oni waka, (ogre child) in front of a huge bell of the Nara Todaiji Temple, with which Benkei is strongly associated. The attendant to the princess with a parasol seems to be rather embarrassed by this situation.  Regarding this series of ten actor portraits, the first word, eiyu, is a play on words, as it is normally written as 英雄, meaning “ hero“ (of