Warrior triptychs

1832-1838

 

 

Title: Yamashiro no kuni Kasagi ishi-iye kassen no zu

Description: Defence of Kasagi Castle by the loyalists against the Rokuhara forces (1331) with tree trunks and rocks being hurled down on the

attackers

Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kiyemon

Date: c. 1832

Robinson: T19

Title: Kuramayama no zu

Description: Ushiwaka Maru practicing fencing with the tengu under the direction of Sôjô-bô with Kisanda in attendance

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô

Date: c. 1832

Robinson: T20

Title: Ôyeyama Shuten-dôji shûzui no zu

Description: The drinking bout of Raikô and his retainers with the Shuten-dôji in the latter’s palace on Mount Ôyeyama

Publisher: Daikoku-ya Heikichi

Date: c. 1832

Robinson: T21

Title: Nitta Ashikaga ô-watashi ô-kassen

Description: Nitta Yoshisada and his troops swimming across a river (probably the Iruma River) by a broken bridge to attack a fortified position on the opposite bank

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

Date: c.1832

Robinson: T22

 

NOTE: This is the right-hand sheet of a triptych

Title: Gyakushin Masakado wa Rokurô Kintsura ga isame no etc.

Description: Musashi Gorô Sadayo striking Rokurô Kintsura with his fan before the latter’s brother Masakado

Publisher: Akamatsu-ya Shôtarô

Date: c. 1833-1834

Robinson: T23

This is an altered version of the above triptych to depict a scene from an 1843 production of the kabuki play ‘Samidare’ (Rain in the Fifth Month).  The actors from left to right are Bandô Mitsugorô IV as Takechi Mitsuhide, Iwai Hanshirô VI and Sawamura Tosshô I (Sawamura Sôjûrô V).

Publisher: Akamatsu-ya Shôtarô

Date: 1834

Title: Shimotsuke no kuni Nasu no hara kimmô hakumen kyûbi no akko taiji no zu

Description: The Nine-tailed Fox slain on Nasu moor by Miura-no-suke Tsunetane and Kadzusa no Suke Hirotsune

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: c. 1834

Robinson: T24

Title: Yoshinaka hata-age kassen no zu

Description: The first battle at the erecting of Yoshinaka’s standard in Shinano (1180): Shirô Nagamochi on horseback(left) cutting at Tayû-bô Kakumei (center), and Tomoye-gozen killing Kurotsuka Hachirô (right)

Publisher: Takenouchi Magohachi (Hoeidô)

Date: c. 1834

Robinson: T25

 

NOTE: This triptych was reissued in 1845 with numerous alterations as T160.  The title was changed to Takeda Uyesugi Kawanakajima ô-kassen no zu, Nagamochi became Uyesugi Kenshin, Tayû-bô became Takeda Shingen and the right hand sheet blocks were recut to eliminate Tomoye-gozen.

 

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Yengen gwan-nen go-gwatsu nijûgo-nichi Minatogawa ô-kassen

Description: The battle of the Minatogawa on July 4, 1336: fighting on a hill with the Ashikaga fleet approaching in the distance

Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kiyemon

Date: c. 1834

Robinson: T26

Title: Untitled

Description: Raikô cutting off the head of the monster Shuten Dôji, which springs in the air.  Raikô’s four chief retainers (shitennô) are shown, left to right, Usui Sadamitsu, Sakata no Kintoki, Hirai Yasumasa, Urabe Suyetake, and Genji Tsuna (killing a demon) 

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Date: c.1835

Robinson: T26a

Title: Kanshin mata-kuguri no zu (The Humility of Kanshin)

Description: Kanshin crawling between the legs of a fisherman, to the amusement of the latter’s companions

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Date: c. 1835 (later printing, c. 1843 with the seal of the censor, Tanaka).

Robinson: T27

This is another state of the above print with different text.

Title: Sanada no Yoichi Yoshihisa: Matano no Gorô Kagehisa: Sanada no Yoichi wa kokon ni hiideshi wakamusha etc.

Description: Struggle between Yoshihisa and Kagehisa at the Battle of Ishibashiyama in 1180

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: c. 1835

Robinson: T28

 

NOTE: The name ‘Yoshihisa’ was erroneously substituted for ‘Yoshitada’. 

Title: Igagoye kataki-uchi no zu (The Igagoye Revenge)

Description: Karaki Masayemon (center) fighting against superior forces; Busuke and Magohachi defending a bridge (right); spectators in the background

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

Date: c.1835

Robinson: T29

 

NOTE: The left and middle sheets of a triptych are illustrated.  Note Kuniyoshi’s signature, the censor’s seal, and the publisher’s seal on the wooden post.

Title:

Description: Ise no Kami Yoshitsune and his retainer Kumai Tarô preparing to defend Horikawa Palace against the attack of Tosa-bô Shôshun and his men, who are seen approaching in the background.

Publisher: not indicated on the one sheet seen by Robinson

Date: c.1835

Robinson: T29a

 

NOTE: This is the right-hand sheet of a triptych

Title: Higo no kuni Midzumata no kaijô nite Tametomo nampû chii etc.

Description: Tarnetomo’s ship wrecked in a storm by a dragon in the clouds and a great fish with tengu flying to the rescue

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T30

Title: Untitled

Description: Asahina Saburô on the seashore with a group of strange inhabitants of foreign lands

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T31

Title: Yoshitsune no jûku-shin

Description: Yoshitsune and his nineteen chief retainers in a ship

Publisher: Idzumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T32

 

NOTE: This triptych is very similar to T319 from 1855.

Title: Miyamoto Musashi Shirakura ka dokushu no etc.

Description: Miyamoto Musashi bursting out of the bathhouse, to the consternation of Shirakura Gengoyemon, his wife, and followers, who had intended to boil him alive there

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T33

 

NOTE: The signature reads ‘Chô-ô-rô Kuniyoshi ga’.

Title: Kusunoki Masashige no shin Tsujikaze Itamochi no ryô-yûshi Fujiidera no kassen ni Kazu-uji wo ikedokoro zu

Description: The Battle of Fujiidera in driving rain: Kazu-uji and Moronao, the Ashikaga generals, seized by the Kusunoki (1348)

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T34

Title: Kenkyû yo-nen go-gwatsu nijûhachi-nichi Fuji no Susono Soga kyôdai yo-uchi hommô no zu

Description: The Soga brothers knocking over foe in the camp enclosure after killing Suketsune (June 28, 1193)

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T35

Title: Inuzaka Keno Tanetomo Ômori to Suzu-no-mori no etc.

Description: The three Hakkenden heroes Inuzaka Keno Tanetomo, Inuda Kobungo and Inukawa Shôsuke Yoshitomo engaged in a running fight with numerous opponents; Mount Fuji behind

Publisher: Idzumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T36

 

 

No image available

 

 

Title: Nitta Yoshisada Ashikaga Taka-uji ô-kassen

Description: The great battle (probably of Hyogo in

1335) between Nitta Yoshisada and Ashikaga Taka-uji: a geneal melee, with Shinodzuka Iga no Kami grappling with Satô Tôtômi no Kami (left)

Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kiyemon

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T37

Title: Gempei kassen: Settsu Banshû no sakai Naniwa-gata Heike no etc.

Description: Battle on the shore outside the fortified Taira camp at Ichi-no-tani (1184): Hirayama Suyeshige (right), Kumagaye Naozane (center), Kumagaye Sada-iye and Etchû Moritsugu (left)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T38

Title: Dzushû Ishibashiyama Tobi-no-gake ni Minamoto no Yoritomo seijû shichi-ki gaboku ni naka ni kakure zu

Description: The Battle of Ishibashiyama (1180) in the rain, showing Yoritomo and his seven companions hiding in the hollow tree, and the combat of Kagehisa with Yoshisada

Publisher: Yebi-ya Rinnosuke (Ebi-ya Rinnosuke)

Date: c.1836

Robinson: T39

Title: Akasaka no shuku nite Ushiwaka Maru gôtô wo kiru

Description: Ushiwaka fighting Chôhan and his gang at the post station

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: c.1836

Robinson: T40

Title: Hakkenden no uchi: Hôryûkaku

Description: Inudzuka Shino at bay on the Hôryûkaku roof against Inukai Kempachi and his men, a favorite episode from the Hakkenden

Publisher: Idzumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836-1837

Robinson: T41

Title: Inuyama Dôsetsu Tadatomo shujin Orima-uji no kataki isoko no etc.

Description: Battle from the Hakkenden with a burning castle in the distance; Inukai Kempachi and Inumura Daikaku in white coats; Inuyama Dôsetsu and Inudzuka Shino in armor

Publisher: Idzumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836-1837

Robinson: T42

Title:  

Description: The battle of Kurikaradani (1183) by moonlight: Tomoye-gozen heaving a rock upon foemen clinging to a steep bank (left), Kiso Yoshinaka grappled with Mikawa no Kami Tomonori (center), and warriors fighting on a road

(right)

Publisher: No seal

Date: c. 1837-1838

Robinson: T43

Title: Minamoto no Raikô jôraku Sagami no kuni Ashigarayama ni etc.

Description: Genji Tsuna watches Kwaidô Maru knocking a bear cub over a precipice; the latter’s mother Yarna-uba (left) is also present

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô

Date: c. 1837-1838

Robinson: T44

Title: Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Heike tsuitô to shite etc.

Description: Reception of Yoshitsune and Noriyori by Yoritomo and his assembled nobles after their victory over the Taira

Publisher: Idzumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1837-1838

Robinson: T45

Title: Minamoto no Yorimitsu no Shitennô tsuchigumo taiji no zu

Description: Raikô’s retainers about to kill the Earth-Spider in the midst of its web

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Date: c. 1838

Robinson: T46

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

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