Warrior triptychs

1847-1852, Part I

 

 

Title: Chûsei gishin den (Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai)

Description: Moronao’s retainer Furubayashi Heihachirô Kaneyoshi defending himself against the two rônin Oribe Yasubei Taketsune (right) and Takebayashi Sadashichi Takashige in the snow

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T184

 

NOTE: The title is repeated on each sheet, and this triptych is closely related to the single sheet series Seichû gishi den (S54).

Title: Yoritomo-kô no mei wo ukete Tosa-bô Shôshun etc.

Description: Kisanda, Genzô and Yoshitsune among sego palms observing the approach of Tosa-bô Shôshun and his party to attack the Horikawa palace

Publisher: Sugi-ya Seibei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T185

Title: Ôboshi Yoshikane wo hajime shijûsho-nin no gishi hon-i wo etc.

Description: After carrying out their revenge, the Forty-Seven Rônin burn incense in the temple, while attendants prepare food for them and keep back admiring crowds

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T186

 

 

No image available

 

 

Title: Akao no gishin yo-uchi karamete no kata yûshi chakutô no zu

Description: The Forty-Seven Rônin attacking Moronao’s mansion from the back

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T187

 

 

No image available

 

 

Title: Akao no gishin yo-uchi ôte-gata yûshi chakutô no zu

Description: The Forty-Seven Rônin attacking Moronao’s mansion from the front

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T188

 

NOTE: This triptych and the preceding triptych may be placed side-by-side to form a six sheet composition

Title: Shizu no ama otome Daishokkwan etc.

Description: The ama (divung girl) who has stolen the sacred jewel from the Dragon King’s palace at the behest of Fujiwara no Kamatari (Daishokkwan) pursued through the waves by various sea creatures

Publisher: Kiyomizu-ya Naojirô

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T189

Title: Eiroku yo-nen ku-gwatsu yo-nichi Kawanakajima kassen ni etc.

Description: Yamamoto Kansuke and the remnant of his troops on a hillock mown down by the Uesugi musketeers at Kawanakajima on October 12, 1561

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T190

Title: Untitled

Description: The fording of the Uji River in 1184: Takatsuna riding up the bank, met by Noritaka, with Shigetada and Kagesue in the river behind

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T191

 

I am grateful to Vladislav Shevyrev for locating this image.

Title: Kiso Yoshinaka wa tatewaki senshô Yoshikata no ko ni shite... (木曽義仲は帯刀先生義賢の子にして..., The pursuit of Yoshinaka in a bamboo grove at the Battle of Awazu)

Description: The pursuit of Minamoto no Yoshinaka (centre) by a bamboo grove at the Battle of Awazu in 1184

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Jûzô

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T192

 

NOTE: Only the middle sheet is signed by Kuniyoshi, and the two outer sheets are signed by Kuniyoshi’s student, Ichijusai Yoshikazu.  All three sheets bear Kuniyoshi’s signature in a later edition.

Title: Untitled

Description: Kajiwara Genda Kagesue with his horse (left), Shôshô (center) and the enraged Soga Gorô Tokimune (right) by a fenced enclosure

Publisher: Naka-ya Tokubei

Date: 1847-1848

Robinson: T193

 

NOTE: This triptych was published in 1847-1848 from a design drawn about 1830.  I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Heike no kyôshaku akugyaku wo mi Kurama etc.

Description: The discomfiture of Benkei on Gojô Bridge by Yoshitsune, assisted by the tengu

Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T194

Title: Heike no meishô (平家の名蔣) Taira no Shigemori hachijin wo hiite teki wo etc.

Description: The arrest of Akugenda Yoshihira in the snow by Taira no Shigemori and his men in 1160

Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T195

Another state of the above triptych published by Yamada-ya Kinseido

Title:

Description: Fujiwara Tadahira with his retinue by the seashore; his wife Fujinoe is holding a poem-card (left)

Publisher: Nôshû-ya Yasubei

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T196

Title: Ishibashiyama ô-kassen no zu

Description: The Battle of Ishibashiyama in 1180 with Sanada Yoichi Yoshihisa (sic) struggling with Matano Gorô Kagehisa by a waterfall, and Sasaki Takatsuna fighting with two swords

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T197

Title: Kenkyû no hajime Kamakura no tachi ni shoshi taikei wo etc.

Description: Quarrel over a game of go in the palace of Kamakura, between Kudô Suketsune and Sasaki Nobutsuna with Mount Fuji behind.  This incident occurred during the planning for the Great Battle of Hyogo. 

Publisher: Kawara-ya Chôzô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T198

 

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo-kyô Fuji maki-gari no zu

Description: Yoritomo’s hunting-party under Mount Fuji in June, 1193 forms a six-sheet panoramic composition when placed side-by-side with the following triptych

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T199

Title: Kenkyû yo-nen go-gwatsu no koro Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Fuji etc.

Description: Tadatsune receiving the charge of the giant wild boar, in a panorama of Yoritomo’s hunting-party under Mount Fuji in June, 1193

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T200

 

NOTE: This triptych and the previous triptych may be placed side-by-side to form a six-sheet composition:

Title: Shinshû Odai kassen no zu

Description: The last fight of Odai Matarokurô Yorisada, who has spitted three foemen on his spear and his henchman Iwatsu Tetsuemon Shigenobu outside their burning castle in the mid sixteenth century

Publisher: Kiyomizu-ya Naojirô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T201

Title: Inaba sanchû ni oite etc.

Description: Dôji Yoshiharu (Horio Yoshiharu) fighting a giant boar with his bare hands watched by warriors among the trees

Publisher: Tajima-ya Saburô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T202

Title: Satô Masakiyo suikyô no rônin ryô-ko no wo torihishigu zu

Description: Satô Masakiyo (Katô Kiyomasa) fighting two drunken rônin by a river watched by soldiers armed with staves

Publisher: Tajima-ya Saburô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T203

Title: Oda Harunaga-kô jo no hei hyakkannen kuzure etc.

Description: The rebuilding of Kiyosu Castle in three days under the direction of Naka-ura Sarukichirô (Toyotomi Hideyoshi), who is shown reporting to Harunaga (Nobunaga)

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T204

Title: Shizu-ga-mine kassen no zu (Picture of the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine)

Description: The defeat of Shibata Katsuie by Hideyoshi at Shizu-ga-mine in 1583: the attack of Katô Kiyomasa and his men carrying bamboo sticks in place of banners, to which severed heads are attached

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T205

Title: Shizu-ga-mine kassen no zu (Picture of the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine)

Description: At the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine in 1583: On the left, a swordsman defending himself and a young warrior with a sashimono (banner attached to the back of armor) bearing a figure of the god Fudô Myô-ô charging; on the right, foemen in confusion and a duel between two mounted warriors

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T205a

 

NOTE: This triptych might form a double triptych with the preceding

“Robinson” refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement.

 

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PART II