Military Brilliance for the Eight Views

(Yôbu hakkei)

Publisher: Yenshû-Hikobei

1852

In eleventh century China, eight views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers developed as a formalized series of landscape paintings. They represented views of the rivers and wetlands around Lake Dongting. The same eight views—autumn moon, lingering snow, evening glow, vesper bells, returning boats, clearing weather, night rain and homing geese—are likened to Japanese heroes in this series of prints. The prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

View: Autumn Moon at Gojô Bridge

Scene: Ushiwaka Maru playing his flute

Robinson: S76.1

View: Lingering Snow at Ishiyama

Scene: Suzuki Shigeyuki with his pistol

Robinson: S76.2

Image courtesy of Pierre Wijermans

This is another state of the above print with the cartouche printed in red. Since this is a less labor-intensive printing, it is almost certainly a later edition.

This is yet another state of the above image. The blue sky has been replaced with a black sky turning the print into a nocturnal scene.

View: Evening Glow at Awadzu

Scene: Tomoe-gozen after the battle of Awazugahara

Robinson: S76.3

View: Vesper Bell at Tôdaiji [Temple]

Scene: Akushichibyôye Kagekiyo in monk’s habit ready to resist arrest

Robinson: S76.4

View: Returning Boats at the Ryûkyû Islands

Scene: Minamoto no Tametomo onboard ship with Kiheiji swimming in the background

Robinson: S76.5

View: Clearing weather at Horikawa

Scene: Eda Genzô defending Horikawa Palace

Robinson: S76.6

View: Night Rain at Narumi

Scene: Inagawa Yoshioto in a downpoor at the battle of Okehazama (1560)

Robinson: S76.7

View: Homing Geese at the Northern Capital

Scene: Kato Kyomasa watching a flock of geese

Robinson: S76.8

This is one of several series of prints Kuniyoshi designed consisting of bust portraits with irregularly shaped cartouches in the right upper corner. In each of these series, the cartouche is bordered by small pictures. The table below shows a typical cartouche from each of these series as well as the script within the cartouche that identifies the series. The color of the cartouches is not a reliable guide to identifying the series, as it may vary with successive printings.

		English title: Mirror of the Loyal Courage of the Faithful Retainers Japanese title: Chûshin giyû kagami Description: Bust of an actor as one of the Forty-seven Rônin with a landscape background
		English title: Famous Views of Edo Selected for the Twelve Months Japanese title: Edo meisho mitate jû-ni ka gwatsu no uchi Description: Bust of actor with landscape in upper half of print above a stylized cloud
		English title: Selection for the Twelve Signs Japanese title: Mitate jûnishi no uchi Description: Bust of an actor with a full-length figure of another actor in a landscape as a background
		English title: Set of Views of Fuji from Edo in Iroha Order Japanese title: Nanatsu iroha Tôto Fuji zukushi Description: Actor’s bust with landscape showing Mount Fuji inserter in the left upper corner
		English title: Celebrated Products of Mountains and Seas Japanese title: Sankai medetai zue Description: Bust of beautiful woman with insert of landscape showing provincial industry in left upper corner NOTE: Various scripts were used in this series, but the two kanji shown at left are most consistent
		English title: Thirty-six Fashionable Restaurants of the Eastern Capital Japanese title: Tôto ryûkô san-jû-rokkwaiseki Description: Bust of actor with restaurant in background
		English title: Military Brilliance for the Eight Views Japanese title: Yôbu hakkei Description: Bust of a military hero in a landscape

‘Robinson’ refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982).

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