Warrior triptychs
1842-1843, Part II
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Title: Iga Kôzuke ada-uchi (The Igagoe
revenge) Description:
Shizuma engaging Matagorô
(right and center) while Masaemon fights against
odds (left) Publisher:
Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T106 |
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Title: Nijô-in no toki...
(二条院の時...) Description:
Gen Sammi Yorimasa
standing with his bow (right), his wife Ayame-no-mae
seated (center) and his squire Ii no Hayata Tadazumi (left) also seated Publisher:
Iba-ya Sensaburô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T107 |
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Title: Minamoto no Ushiwaka Maru Yahagi no chôja
ga moto tachiyori tamau zu (源牛若丸矢矧長者が許立寄給圖) Description:
Ushiwaka and Kisanda
being summoned by one of Jôruri-hime’s maids with Jôruri-hime playing the koto in the house behind Publisher:
Iba-ya Kyûbei Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T108 |
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Title: Gempei seisuiki: Sanshû Yashima kassen (History of the Ups and Downs of the Minamoto and Taira: The Battle
of Yashima in Description:
The Battle of Yashima in Publisher:
Jôshû-ya Jûzô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T109 |
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Title: Saimyôji Tokiyori Nyûdô shokoku shugyô no... (Lord Chûnagon
Suketoshi, son of Lord Dainagon
Suketomo…) Description:
Tokiyori, the Hôjô regent,
in monk’s habit, at the house of Tsuneyo in the
snow; the latter’s daughter Shiratae cuts a
valuable bonsai (dwarf tree) to
make a fire Publisher:
Fujioka-ya Keijirô
(listed as “Sakurai” in Robinson) Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T110 |
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Title: Taira no Masakado isshi Shôgun Tarô
Yoshikado etc. Description:
Iga Jutarô (left), Yoshikado (center), and his sister Takiyasha
(right) with their gang in the old temple where they lived Publisher:
Minato-ya Kohei Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T111 NOTE: This
triptych is similar to T219. |
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Title: Yoshi-ie Mikawa Zenji ga musume
ni etc. Description:
Hachiman-tarô Yoshi-ie
cuts off the corner of a go board
with his sword, while Nareginu, daughter of Mikawa Zenji, holds up a
lantern, and Abe no Munetô stands glowering outside
Publisher:
Fujioka-ya Hikotarô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson: T111a |
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Title: Konoe-no-in no gyo-u Nimpyô san-nen etc. Description:
Yorimasa shooting down the nue from above the palace of
the Emperor Konoe in 1153 Publisher:
Sôshû-ya Yohei Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T112 |
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Title: Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo Izu no Ôshima
nite etc. Description:
Tametomo (left) sinking the foremost ship of Mochimitsu’s fleet with a single arrow; his mistress Sasarae and his henchman Oniyasha,
armed with a naginata and an iron
club respectively with the rough islanders look on in admiration Publisher:
Tsujioka-ya Yasubei Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T113 NOTE: This
triptych was reprinted in 1844 with a different publisher’s seal and an altered
title (T140). |
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Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo-kô shoshô wo atsume
etc. Description:
Yoritomo presiding at a war-council of all his
chief followers in his battle against the Taira
with the rivalry of Sasaki and Kajiwara Publisher:
Kazusa-ya Iwazô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T114 |
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Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo Sumidagawa hata-age
chakutô seizoroe no zu Description:
Presentation of a naginata to Hatakeyarna Shigetada by Hôjô Tokimasa before Yoritomo on the banks of the Sumida River in 1180 with many
warriors in attendance Publisher:
Tsuta-ya Kichizô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T115 |
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Title: Kiso Kwanja Yoshinaka Heike wo horobasan to ichizoku etc. Description:
Yoshinaka’s farewell parade on going to war with
the Taira in 1180 with Tomoe-gozen
riding off (left) Publisher:
Kagi-ya Hanjirô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T116 NOTE: This
triptych was modified in 1849-1852 to become T244. The head of Tomoe-gozen
was recut as Wakiya Yoshisuke,
while Yoshinaka became Yoshisada
and Yamabuki-gozen became Kôtô-no-naishi. |
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Title: Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Heike wo horoboshite nochi etc. Description:
After a slanderer put doubts of his loyalty into the mind of Lord Yoritomo, Yoshitsune reading
his plea to his brother Yoritomo after his victory
over the Taira on July 3, 1185 (the text of the ‘Koshigoe Letter’ occupies the upper part of the print) Publisher:
To-Sawa Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T117 |
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Title: Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Tsuru-ga-oka Hachiman-gû e hôraku no tame etc. Description:
Yoritomo releasing 1,000 cranes (a pious Buddhist
practice) on the shore at Tsuru-ga-oka Publisher:
Sano-Ichi Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T118 |
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Title: Minamoto no Yori-ie-kô Kamakura Kotsubo no
umi-yûran Asahina etc. Description:
Asahina Yoshihide’s fight
with two crocodiles in the sea off Kamakura, watched by the Shôgun Yori-ie and his nobles
in boats Publisher:
Sôshû-ya Yohei Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T119 |
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Title: Dainagon Suketomo-kô no soku Chûnagon Suketoshi-kô etc. Description:
Kumawaka Maru, son of Dainagon Suketomo, and the wife
of Shinozuka Iga no Kami outside a house in the snow Publisher:
Fujioka-ya Keijirô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T120 |
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Title: Hyôgo no omote ô-kassen no zu Description:
Encounter of the troops of Kusunoki Masashige and the Ashikaga in mid-stream in 1336 Publisher:
Jôshû-ya Jûzô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T121 I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image. |
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Title:
Family Tree of Minamoto Family (Genke shotô sofu koden, 源家正統祖譜小伝) Description:
An illustrated family tree of the main line of the Minamoto
Clan from Sadazumi Shinnô
(874-916), son of Emperor Seiwa, to Yoshitsune as follows: RIGHT- (above): Asahi Shôgun Yoshinaka and Chinjufu Shôgun Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (middle): Mutsu no Kami Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Reizei-in Hangwandai Yorinobu (below): Sama Gon-no-kami Tada Mitsunaka and Rokusonnô Tsunemoto MIDDLE SHEET (above): Hachiman-tarô Yoshi-ie, Sadazumi Shinnô and Rokujô Hangwan Tameyoshi (middle): Shinra Saburô Yoshimitsu (below): Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo and Sama-no-kami
Yoshitomo LEFT- (above): Udaishô Yoritomo and Kaba-no-Kwanja Noriyori (middle): Tayû no Hangwan Yoshitsune (below): Tatewaki Sensei Yoshikata and Akugenda Yoshihira Publisher:
Izumi-ya Ichibei Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T122 |
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Title: Gempei seisuiki: Izu no kuni Yamaki
kassen (History of the Ups and Downs of the Minamoto and Taira: The attack
on the Yamaki Palace) Description:
Yoritomo’s attack on Yamaki
Palace at night took Kanetaka and his retainers by
surprise in 1180 Publisher:
Jôshû-ya Kinzô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T123 |
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Title: Ôshû Takadachi kassen Yoshitsune etc. Description:
Yoshitsune leading a sortie from the castle of Takadachi over the moat bridge in 1189; Benkei knocking
over foe (center) Publisher:
Some copies bear the seal of Ki-ya Sôjirô and others Kagi-ya Hanshirô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T124 |
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Title:
Untitled Description:
The Soga brothers with Tegoshi no Shôshô in the rain outside the tent of Kudô Suketsune Publisher:
Jô-Yasu Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T125 |
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Title: Kaga no kuni Ataka no shin-seki nite Yoshilsune shûjû etc. Description:
Benkei reading his scroll (kwanjinchô) to Togashi Saemon at the Ataka Barrier, he
and his party dressed as monks Publisher:
Eshima Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T126 |
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Title: Yoshinoyama nite Yoshitsune shûjû etc. Description:
The parting of Shizuka-gozen from Yoshitsune and his followers among the snows of Publisher:
Kazusa-ya Iwazô Date: c.
1842-1843 Robinson:
T127 NOTE:
Another state of this triptych has a dark sky. |
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Title: In Minamoto’s Residence the Earth Spider Appears as a
Monster (Minamoto no Yorimitsu-kô
no yakata ni tsuchigumo yôkai o nasu zu, 源頼光公館土蜘作妖怪圖) Description:
The Earth Spider (right) conjures up demons at the mansion of Minamoto no Raikô (Minamoto no Yorimitsu) (right),
who lies sick in bed. Two of his bodyguards, Watanabe no Tsuna
and Sakata no Kintoki, play go (centre), while Urabe no Suetake
(right) and Usui no Tadamitsu
(left) look towards the procession of spirits in the background Publisher:
Iba-ya Sensaburô Date: 8th
month of 1843 Robinson:
T128 NOTE: This
is the first edition of the print that got Kuniyoshi into trouble with the
authorities. It bears no censor’s seal
and pokes fun at the government and the censors. The daimyo Mizuno Tadakuni (1794-1851) was
the force behind the censorship known as the “Tenpô
reforms”. He was the roju (chief
councilor) to the shogun, and is
caricatured in this triptych as the Earth Spider casting his evil influence
over the shogun, who is represented by the sleeping figure of Yorimitsu. |
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This is the second edition
printed from newly carved woodblocks.
Kuniyoshi’s signature and the publisher’s seal appear only on the
left-hand sheet. |
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This is the third edition,
which is crudely carved. There is no white
divide between the realm of the demons and the green floor of Yorimitsu’s mansion. |
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“Robinson” refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement.
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