Konobu I / Sadanobu II
Son of Sadanobu I, active late 19th's century

Soga Monogatari / The Soga Brothers

Five eiban prints from a series of twelve.

Prints: 7 / 8 / 9 / missing / 11 / 12
eiban, each approx w 11 x h 8 cm

"The Soga Monogatari, or Tale of Soga, is a warrior tale based on the story of Kudo Saemon Suketsune who, on order to get the inheritance of his uncle Ito Sukechika, had his cousin Kozu Saburo Sukemichi murdered in 1175. Eighteen years later, on the 18th day of the Fifth month of 1193, Sukemichi's two sons, Juro Sukenari (1172-93) and Goro Tokimune (1174-93), killed Suketsune during a hunting party on Mt. Fuji. Juro was killed in the ambush but Goro was captured. Although Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-99), applauding the brothers' bravery and loyalty, wanted to pardon Goro, Suketsune's son demanded and got his execution.

The tale focus on the conflict between the shogunal authority and the brothers loyalty to their father, highlighting the clash between the brothers' heroic vendetta and the feudal system which condemns them. The story was extremely popular in the Edo era and it was adapted for Nô, Bunraku and Kabuki, where several hundreds plays based on the Soga world were written and performed in Edo for centuries. It is still a custom in Kabuki to perform at least one sogamono every New Year."

source: http://www.man-pai.com/Notas/soga_monagatari_e.htm