Gallery 8A: Theater Matchbox Prints

The woodblock printed matchbox labels in this gallery depict actors and/or scenes related to Kabuki Theater or the Bunraku stage. The first set of smaller format prints were primarily found pasted into a collector’s book dating to the 1920s-1930s. The images are approximately 3.2-3.3 cm by 5.1-5.3 cm.

These Noh and Bunraku theater images came from a collector’s book of loose matchbox prints that had been handed down in a family of woodblock carvers and matchbox print collectors. They are from the pre-war early Showa era.

The following matchbox prints are from the set Selection of Famous Kabuki Roles. The series identifies the theatrical role but not the specific actor or the play in which the character appeared. Each print also identifies the sponsor who supported the print production. The publisher and carver of this set has not been identified. The majority of translations are provided via a collection of similar prints at Mokuhankan which also provides the titles of plays that the roles likely derive from.

This set of matchbox prints depicts the plays of the Kabuki Juhachiban, a collection of eighteen famous Kabuki plays in the aragoto (rough) style that were compiled by the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII. The artist and publisher for this set have yet to be identified.

The following matchbox woodblock prints accompanied the above set of 18 and include 5 Kumadori (makeup) images as well as three prints that may be title pages for the sets.

The following matchbox woodblock prints also accompanied the above set of 18. The first print is likely related to the play The Subscription List (Kanjincho). The second print is likely related to the character Sakuramaru and the Struggle for the Carriage scene in the play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami. The third print is also likely from the Carraige Scene and relates to the character Umeomaru. These three prints appear to be associated with a cafe; the address has been provided on the print.

The matchbox prints below depict puppets and puppet heads form the Bunraku stage. The puppet prints were part of a collection dating to the 1920’s - 1930s with images approximately 3.2-3.3 cm by 5.1-5.3 cm in dimension. The appearance of articulations in the hands in some of the prints reveal the Bunraku theme. The set of puppet heads are undated and are slightly larger at approximately 3.6- 3.7 x 5.5-5.6 cms.