Counting Songs of Benten Kozō

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"弁天小僧かぞへうた"

[Kimata, Asakichi? (text by); Kawatake, Mokuami (original play written by)].

Okazaki, [Aichi]: Kimata Asakichi, Meiji 29 [1896].

A collection of twenty kazoeuta (counting songs or poems), each with three lines, based on the tale of the young thief Benten Kozō Kikunosuke from the kabuki play Aotozōshi Hana no Nishikie ("The Glorious Picture Book of Aoto's Exploits", more commonly known as Shiranami Gonin Otoko ("Five Men of the White Waves")). This play, written by famous kabuki playwright Kawatake Mokuami (1816-1893), was first staged in March 1862 at the Ichimura-za theatre in Tokyo.

In the most famous scene of the play, depicted in the woodblock-printed illustration on the upper wrapper of this booklet, Kozō removes his disguise - that of a high-ranking young lady - showing his tattooed shoulder and striking a stereotypically masculine pose. Kozō's pose is so well-known that it has its own name, the miawarashi ("revelation"). A scarce, probably unrecorded, booklet of the "revelation" scene by the thief Kozō.

On double-leaves, fukurotoji-style. Original wrappers, small hole to Kozō’s face, slight loss to right extremity of upper wrapper, small tear to left extremity. Light creases, soiling, and minor ink stain to lower wrapper. Browning throughout. Binding string cut in several places. Volume 237 of an untitled series by the publisher and advertised as a "new edition". 1 v., complete. 4 leaves. 15.5 x 10.17 cm.

Counting Songs of Benten Kozō
Price: $485.00 (USD)