Nakamura Utaemon stage prop inr and mythological namazu giant catfish netsuke netsuke Kabuki no butai no inr

r to namazu no netsuke The main crest is easily identifiable as the Narikomoya Guild mon of Nakamura Utaemon though which generation actor it belonged to is unknown. Nakamura Utaemon no Kamon (Actors crest)

Narikomo-ya Gion Mamuri mon The symbol on the reverse side is much more difficult to identify and to date Waseda and Shochiku have been unable to identify it. Its possible that the reverse could be a symbolic representation in the style of the bound rice sheaf or daki ine, , kamon. http://www.genbu.net/sinmon/ine.htm

The dual crests of Nakamura Utaemon I show both crests http://www.myjapanesehanga.com/home/articles/kabuki-actor-crests-mon Nakamura Utaemon I was born in Kaga, an old temple town in the southern part of Ishikawa Province and the bound rice sheaf or daki ine, , is the symbol for the shrine there, the Iminami Jinja, , which is shown at this link http://www.genbu.net/data/kaga/iminami_title.htm

Reinforcing the links with Kaga, Nakamura Utaemon I is buried in Shinjo-ji Temple, , in Kanazawa. It is quite possible that if the symbol on the reverse is s stylised bound rice sheaf or daki ine, , that it has been used as a way of honouring the historical origins of the Nakamura Utaemon line of actors.