In spite of its seriestitle that suggests a four-sheet composition, it is most likely a pentaptych portraying six actors.
The actors are portrayed after the performance of the play Shitenno gekijo yorihatsu, staged in XI/1833 at the Morita Theatre. The scene illustrates one of the many events in the life of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (d.1021), popularly known as Raiko. In this case, the Shitenno, originally the Four Heavenly Kings and generally denoting any group of outstanding figures in a certain profession, refers to his retainers Watanabe no Tsuna, Usui no Sadamitsu, Urabe no Suetaka, and Sakata no Kintoki. Being designed after the kaomise (‘showing the faces’) performances, it is virtually impossible to establish the correct sequence of this multi-sheet composition or to identify the actors and their roles more accurately than in the attempt here.
For the other known prints in the pentaptych(?), see:
4: Segawa Michinosuke II (d. 1861, acted under this name until 1859) as Misaki, the wife of Hirotsuna, dancing;
5: Unidentified actor as Okume, the daughter of Ohara, seated by a stand with New Year’s decorations - MFA 00.1944.
