The Suicide of Kampei, Act 5 from a series of Scenes from the Play Chushingura

The Suicide of Kampei, Act 5 from a series of Scenes from the Play Chushingura

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Act VI, The suicide of Kampei. When the ronin return the wallet, Kampei's mother-in-law recognizes it as the one that was given to her husband from the description of the tea-house owner. When the ronin hear the accusations of Kampei's mother-in-law they join in accusing Kampei, who is by now nearly convinced that it was his father-in-law that he killed. Kampei begins to commit seppuku, but is halted in the act by the ronin (though he will die of his wound) when they discover that Yoichibei has been killed with a blade rather than a bullet, proving that the robber killed him. The ronin accept Kampei's money and make him one of their number on the spot. When Kampei has died, the two ronin return the money he gave them so that it can be used toward his own burial.
Artist
Unknown (Japanese)
Title
The Suicide of Kampei, Act 5 from a series of Scenes from the Play Chushingura
Date
ca. 1795-1800
Medium
Color woodcut
Dimensions
315 x 109 mm Overall
Credit
Bequest of John H. Van Vleck
Accession No.
1980.3316
Classification
Prints
Geography
Japan

Related

By 1925, purchased in Japan by Frank Lloyd Wright; ca. 1926, acquired by The Bank of Wisconsin; 1928, sold to Edward Burr Van Vleck (Madison, WI); 1943, passed through inheritance to Edward’s son, John H. Van Vleck (Madison, WI); 9 January 1980, bequeathed by John H. Van Vleck to the Elvehjem Museum of Art [now called Chazen Museum of Art]

  • Elvehjem Museum of Art. "The Edward Burr Van Vleck Collection of Japanese Prints." Madison: Elvehjem Museum of Art, 1990. p. 349

  • Chushingura, Storehouse of Loyal Retainers: Elvehjem Museum of Art, 6/1/1991–8/11/1991

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