Warrior triptychs
1849-1852, Part I
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Title: Tametomo wa rôdô amata meshitsure
(鎮西八郎為朝鬼ヶ嶋へ渡る圖. Tametomo Landing on Onigashima
Island) Description: Tametomo watches his henchman Oniyasha
shouldering a stranded boat off a rock Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei Date: Early 1849 Robinson: T214 |
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Title: Yoshitsune kôshin: shitennô shusse kagami no uchi: Kamei Rokurô (義経功臣: 四天王出世鑑之内: 亀井六郎) Description: Kamei Rokurô Shigekiyo (亀井六郎重清) making his
debut as one of Yoshitsune’s retainers by fighting
a black bear in the snow, watched by Gen Yoshitsune
(源義經) and other
retainers Publisher: Nishimura-ya Yohachi Date: Early 1849 Robinson: T215 |
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This later edition of the preceding design was
published by Maru-ya Tokuzô c. 1860-1867.
I am grateful to Andrea Casati for this image. |
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Title: Hyôe-no-suke
Yoritomo-dono Jishô yo-nen no aki etc. Description: The gathering
of Yoritomo’s troops before the Battle of Ishibashiyama
on Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô Date: Early 1849 Robinson: T216 NOTE: The
horizontal format (yoko-e) is unusual for Kuniyoshi’s warrior
prints. It is likely that there is a
missing sheet on the left that would place the text and the main figure
(Yoritomo) in the center of a triptych.
I am grateful to Ole Albæk Pedersen for this image. |
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Title: Battle at Ujigawa (Ujigawa kassen no zu, 宇治川合戦之図) Description: The rival
generals swimming the Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei Date: Early 1849 Robinson: T217 |
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I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this
alternate state of the above design. |
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Title: Description: Asahina Saburô Yoshihide (朝比奈三郎義秀) struggling
with two crocodiles at Kotsubo Beach, watched by
the Shôgun
Yori-ie from a rock, with Mt. Publisher: Date: Early 1849 Robinson: T218 |
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Title: Shôgun Tarô Yoshikado mikata no sei wo atsumuru zu (Shogun Tarô Yoshimon gathering his allies, 将軍太郎良門味方ノ勢を聚る図) Description: The gathering
of Yoshikado, his sister Takiyasha,
the old retainer Iga Jutarô
and their gang in the old temple Publisher: Sawamura-ya Rihei Date: Late
1849-1850 Robinson: T219 NOTE: Although
published in 1849-1850, Kuniyoshi drew this design about 1835, and it is
similar to triptych T111. I am
grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image. |
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Title: Sasaki Moritsuna Crossing the Inland Sea on Horseback (Banshû Sodegawa-jiri Fujito hama Sasaki Moritsuna kiba nite umi o Wataru, 播州西河尻藤戸濱佐々木盛綱 騎馬にて海を渉る) Description: Sasaki Moritsuna and his troops fording the Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei Date: Late
1849-1850 Robinson: T220 |
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Title: Yoshitsune kyû-ryû no zu Description: Yoshitsune (bottom center) recovering his bow from the
sea at the Battle of Yashima Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô Date: Late
1849-1850 Robinson: T221 This triptych may be placed side-by-side with T256 to form a
six-sheet composition:
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Title: Picture of
the Battle of Dan-no-ura (Dan-no-ura ô-kassen
no zu, 壇ノ浦大合戦之圖) Description: Yoshitsune’s leap at the Battle of Dan-no-ura with Noritsune leaping
after him Publisher: Tsuta-ya Umejirô Date: Late
1849-1850 Robinson: T222 |
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Title: Higo no kuni Aso no kôri Aso no Saburô Taira no Tadakuni etc. Description: The betrothal
of Tametomo (right) and Shiranui-hime
(left) before her father Aso Tadakuni in the time
of cherry blossom Publisher: Ise-ya Kanekichi Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T223 |
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Title: Obaka shuku yo-uchi no zu (大墓宿夜討之圖, Night Attack
on the Ohaka Inn) Description: Ushiwaka Maru engaging Kumasaka Chôhan
and his gang at the inn with a flaming torch flying through the air Publisher: Amatsu Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T224 |
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A later printing of the above design with the cartouche in the
right upper corner having a solid red background |
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Title: Untitled Description: The fording
of the Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T225 |
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Title: Ichi-no-tani ô-kassen no zu Description: Confusion in
the Taira camp at Ichi-no-tani caused by Yoshitsune’s descent of Hiyodori-goe
(right): Naozane calling after Atsumori
(left) and Munemori escorting the women to safety (center) Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T226 NOTE: A later edition
has a solid red cartouche (without design) in the right upper corner and
several other color changes. I am grateful to Marc DeVriese
for this image. |
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Title: Untitled Description: In a
mountainous landscape, Matano Gorô Kagehisa, half-naked on a rock is angrily gesturing to
Sanada Yoichi Yoshitada who is mounted and in
hunting costume (left); Yoshitsune and his
followers are seated (right) Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T227 |
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Title: Untitled Description: The Battle of
Ichi-no-tani: Kumagai Naozane
(熊谷治郎直実, left) calling
to Mukan Dayu Atsumori (無官太夫平敦盛, center),
Hirayama Mushadokoro Sueshige
(平山武者所季重) fighting
(right), and behind him Tadanori slain by Okabe Rokuyata
Tadazumi with the Taira fleet offshore Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T228 NOTE: This design exists both as a warrior triptych
(above) and as a kabuki actor triptych for the 1850 production of Ichinotani
futaba gunki (一谷嫩軍記), with
Ichikawa Ebizô V as Kumagai Naozane
and Asao Okuyama III as Hirayama Mushadokoro Sueshige. The
faces of Kumagai Naozane and Hirayama Mushadokoro Sueshige are quite
different in the two editions:
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Title: Yashima ô-kassen
(八島大合戦, The Battle of
Yashima) Description: The Battle of
Yashima; fight on the shore, with the Taira fleet in the offing. Naozane and Atsumori (center) locked in struggle fall from their
horses with Tajima no Kami Tsunemasa mounted and Matsudaira Norimori wrestling with Minamoto no Yoshiyasu (right) Publisher: This triptych
exists with the seals of Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
and also with the seals of Maru-ya Jinpachi Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T229 NOTE: Naozane and Atsumori actually
fought during the |
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Another state of the above design with the seal of the publisher
Maru-ya Jinpachi (甚 [jin] within a circle) and a yellow title cartouche
in the right upper corner. |
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Title: Yashima ô-kassen
(The Battle of Yashima, 戰合大嶋八) Description: The Battle of
Yashima: Yoshitsune’s leap, with Noritsune shaking his fist (left) and a general melee
(right) in which Benkei and Kikuô Maru are
prominent Publisher: Identified as
Ise-Gen in Robinson, but as Ise-ya Bunshichi in Publishers
of Japanese Woodblock Prints: A Compendium by Andreas Marks (2011, Hotei
Publishing, Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T230 |
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Title: Kawanakajima kassen: Kenshin
no shaki Description: Uesugi
Kenshin charging at the head of a wedge formation of his troops at the Battle
of Kawanakajima Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T231 |
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Title: Miyamoto Musashi michi
ni ijin ni yotte... (宮本無三四道に異人...) Description: Miyamoto Musashi
being shown a magic glass by an eccentric stranger at a post-station by a
bridge Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T232 |
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Title: Hakkenden chûyû soroi (The Loyal Heroes from the Legend of the
Eight Dog Warriors, 八犬伝忠勇揃) Description: Group of
Fuse-hime and the eight Dog Heroes of Bakin’s novel “Hakkenden” Publisher: Sa-Yo Date: 1849-1852 Robinson: T233 |
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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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