7/27/2019 Nakamura Utaemon stage prop inrō and mythological ōnamazu giant catfish netsuke netsuke K…

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Nakamura Utaemon stage prop inrō and mythological ōnamazu giant catfish netsuke

netsuke

歌舞伎の舞台の印籠と大鯰の根付 

Kabuki no butai no inrō to ōnamazu no netsuke

The main crest is easily identifiable as the Narikomoya Guild mon of Nakamura Utaemon though

which generation actor it belonged to is unknown.

中村歌右衛門 初代の家紋 Nakamura Utaemon no Kamon (Actors crest)

Narikomo-ya Gion Mamuri mon「成駒屋祇園守」紋 The symbol on the reverse side is much more difficult to identify and to date Waseda and Shochiku

have been unable to identify it. It’s possible that the reverse could be a symbolic representation in

the style of the bound rice sheaf or daki ine,抱き稲, kamon.

http://www.genbu.net/sinmon/ine.htm

The dual crests of Nakamura Utaemon I show both crests

http://www.myjapanesehanga.com/home/articles/kabuki-actor-crests-mon 

Nakamura Utaemon I was born in Kaga, an old temple town in the southern part of Ishikawa

Province and the bound rice sheaf or daki ine, 抱き稲, is the symbol for the shrine there, the

Iminami Jinja,忌浪神社, which is shown at this link

http://www.genbu.net/data/kaga/iminami_title.htm 

Reinforcing the links with Kaga, Nakamura Utaemon I is buried in Shinjo-ji Temple, 真成寺, in

Kanazawa. It is quite possible that if the symbol on the reverse is s stylised bound rice sheaf or daki

ine, 抱き稲, that it has been used as a way of honouring the historical origins of the Nakamura

Utaemon line of actors.