Mirror of Our Country’s Military Elegance

(Honchô buyû kagami)

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

c. 1845

The prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

Warrior: Asahina Saburô Yoshihide holding the piece of armor he tore from Soga Gorô

Robinson: S32.1

Image courtesy of Kate Zotova

Warrior: Minamoto no Yoshitsune seated with a fan in his hand wearing a court cap and a transparent green robe over his armor Robinson: S32.11

Warrior: Musashi-bô Benkei seated with brush and paper in hand and dry ink on the ground before him Robinson: S32.2

Warrior: Kwanrei Uyesugi Danjô-no-daihitsu Terutora Nyûdô Kenshin Fushiki-in Daisôdzu seated wearing the robes of a warrior-monk over armor and holding a club

Robinson: S32.3

Warrior: Kumagae Jirô Naozane in armor and bareheaded about to strike with his sword

Robinson: S32.4

NOTE: This print might form a diptych with S32.12

Another state of the above print

Warrior: Komatsu Naidaijin Shigemori stand in black court robes with a black hat

Robinson: S32.5

Warrior: Takeda Daizendayû-ken Shinano no Kami Minamoto no Ason Harunobu Nyûdô Tokuyeiken Hôshô-in Daisôjô Gizan (Shingen) seated in the hooded robes of a monk holding his war-fan with his horned helmet on a stand beside him

Robinson: S32.6

Warrior: Minamoto no Tametomo shooting arrows with a giant bow

Robinson: S32.7

This is another state of the above print.

Image courtesy of Kate Zotova

Warrior: Taira no Tomomori wearing court robes over armor holding his naginata (pole arm)

Robinson: S32.8

Warrior: Tomoye-gozen wearing a kimono over armor and holding up a dirk with a tray and sake dipper before her

Robinson: S32.9

Another state of the above print

Warrior: Minamoto no Yoritomo seated bareheaded in armor holding a notebook and writing brush

Robinson: S32.10

Warrior: Mukwan-no-tayû Atsumori in full armor wielding a drawn sword

Robinson: S32.12

NOTE: This print might form a diptych with S32.4

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listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its unpublished supplement.

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN PAGE