Chushingura, Act XI: Night Attack

Artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797 - 1861)

Place of OriginJapan

Dateearly 1830s

PeriodEdo period (1615-1868)

CultureJapanese

MaterialsInk and colors on paper

DimensionsH. 10 1/2 in x W. 15 in, H. 26.7 cm x W. 38.1 cm (ōban)

Credit LineGift of the Grabhorn Ukiyo-e Collection

Object number2005.100.115

DepartmentJapanese Art

ClassificationsPrints And Drawings

On View

Not on view

SignedSignature: 一勇齋國芳画 Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga

More Information

One of the most popular Kabuki plays of all time, Chūshingura was based on the story of a vendetta from the early 1700s. The tale concerns a group of loyal retainers who set out to avenge the forced suicide of their lord. Because of censorship laws banning current events from the stage, the play, which debuted in 1748, was set in a much earlier era, and the names of the warriors were changed. The moment shown here is the penultimate one in the play, when, after years of plotting and waiting, the retainers sneak into the mansion of Kō Moronō, the man they hold responsible for their lord’s death. On a silent night, their footsteps muffled by snow, the men are directed by Ōboshi Yuranosuke to scale the wall and enter the compound. A full moon lights their way.