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Rokkasen (六歌仙) Matsumoto Koshiro VI (六代目松本幸四郎) as Otomo no Yakamochi (大伴黒主), Ichikawa Danjuro VIII (八代目市川団十郎) as Ariwara no Narihira (在原業平), Ichikawa Uzaemon XII (十二代目市村羽左衛門) as Fun'ya no Yasuhide (文屋康秀), Iwai Hanshiro VII (七代目岩井半四郎) as Ono no Komachi (小野小町), Sawamura Soujuro V (五代目沢村宗十郎) as Kisen Hōshi (喜撰法師) and Nakamura Utaemon IV (四代目中村歌右衛門) as Sojo Henjo (僧正遍昭)

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Japanese colour woodblock print showing three men

Rokkasen (六歌仙) Matsumoto Koshiro VI (六代目松本幸四郎) as Otomo no Yakamochi (大伴黒主), Ichikawa Danjuro VIII (八代目市川団十郎) as Ariwara no Narihira (在原業平), Ichikawa Uzaemon XII (十二代目市村羽左衛門) as Fun'ya no Yasuhide (文屋康秀), Iwai Hanshiro VII (七代目岩井半四郎) as Ono no Komachi (小野小町), Sawamura Soujuro V (五代目沢村宗十郎) as Kisen Hōshi (喜撰法師) and Nakamura Utaemon IV (四代目中村歌右衛門) as Sojo Henjo (僧正遍昭)

Collection:CSM Museum & Study Collection
Date: 1856
Maker: Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞)
Medium: O-ban Nishiki-e (大判錦絵, large-format coloured print)
Object number: O.11.84-85
DescriptionRokkasen (六歌仙) are six famous poets (Otomo no Yakamochi (大伴黒主), Ariwara no Narihira (在原業平), Fun'ya no Yasuhide (文屋康秀), Ono no Komachi (小野小町), Kisen Hōshi (喜撰法師) and Sojo Henjo (僧正遍昭)) of the early Heian period, mentioned in the preface to the Kokin Waka Shu (古今和歌集).
In the world of Kabuki, Rokkasen is a comedic tale in which Ono no Komachi, the only female of the six poets, is approached by the other five male poets. Such parodies of historical figures with a twist were known as ‘Mitate (見立)' and were a popular genre among the people of the Edo period.