Blindman's Buff (Allusion to Yuranosuke at the Ichiriki Teahouse) めんないちどり（見立由良之助一力遊興）（みたてゆらのすけいちりきゆうきょう）

Description

This print alludes to a kabuki play based on the story of the forty-seven ronin. In the scene being referenced, the hero indulges himself in amusements to fool his enemies into thinking he has given up on avenging his master's death.

This is an ukiyo-e woodblock print by Chokosai Eisho. It depicts ladies enjoying themselves in an opulent pleasure house. The eyes of the purple-clad woman in the center are half-concealed by a fan and she seems to be reaching out for something. She is surrounded by ladies garbed in various colors and they appear to be cheering. We can almost hear their lively shouts of joy. They are playing a game similar to blind man's bluff. The woman in the center is actually an allusion to Oboshi Yuranosuke, a character from the Kanadehon version of the Treasury of Loyal Retainers. In Act Seven of this story based on a real incident of revenge, the hero Oboshi Yuranosuke, in reality Oishi Kuranosuke, indulges himself in amusements at the Ichiriki Tea House in order to fool his enemies into thinking he has given up on avenging his master's death. Viewers would have recognized this as a parody of Oboshi Yuranosuke from the blind man's bluff game and the purple garments, which resemble those worn by a stylish pleasure seeker.