A Hundred Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country

(Honchô bunyû hyaku-nin isshu, 本朝文雄百人一首)

Publisher: Murata-ya Tetsu

c. 1842-1843

 

This series of prints portrays historical figures who are known to have written extant poetry, which is reproduced in a square panel on each print.  On many of the prints, the hero-poet’s personal seal (kakihan) is reproduced in red.  The prints in this series are each about 10 by 7 inches (25 by 18 centimeters), a size known as chûban. 

 

SC229206

 

Scene: Abe Munetô (安倍宗任) wearing court robes over half-armor and holding a bow and arrows

Robinson: S22.1

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Akugenda Yoshihira (悪源太義平) seated and glaring to his left

Robinson: S22.2

 

Scene: Asahina Saburô Yoshihide (朝比奈三郎義秀) standing in court robes with a fan

Robinson: S22.3

 

Another state of the above design

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Ashikaga Tadayoshin (足利直義) seated before a large mirror dressing for a noh dance

Robinson: S22.4

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo (鎮西八郎為朝) standing in court robes and cap with a fan; a spray of cherry-blossom thrown at him by the maids at the time of his betrothal to Shiranui-hime

Robinson: S22.5

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Kazusa Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo (上総悪七兵衛景清) standing holding a closed fan and a wide straw hat

Robinson: S22.6

 

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Kajiwara Genda Kagesue (梶原源太景季) standing holding a wide straw hat

Robinson: S22.7

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Komatsu Naidaijin Shigemori (小松内大臣重盛) standing in black brocade court robes holding the infant Emperor Antoku on his shoulder

Robinson: S22.8

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Musashi no Kami Moronao (高武藏間獅直) standing holding a card on which is written his love- poem to the lady Kaoyo-gozen in a scene from the first act of the kabuki play Kanadehon Chûshingura

Robinson: S22.9

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Matsushima no Tsubone (松嶋局) seated with her child before her

Robinson: S22.10

 

Another state of the above design with a red title cartouche

 

Scene: Kiitchi’s daughter, Minazuru-hime (Kiitchi no musume Minazuru-hime, 鬼一の娘みなずる姫) standing barefoot and shielding a lantern with her sleeve (she obtained copies of her father’s scrolls of strategy for her love, Yoshitsune)

Robinson: S22.11

 

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝) standing in court robes and cap holding a fan with a sword in a tiger skin scabbard

Robinson: S22.12

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Onzôshi Ushiwaka Maru (御曹子牛若丸) seated examining the strategic scroll Sanryaku-no-maki in Ki-ichi Hôgen’s house

Robinson: S22.13

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Sarashina-hime (更科姫) with her son Shikanosuke and a bear cub

Robinson: S22.14

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Satô Shirobei Tadanobu (佐藤四郎兵衛忠信) seated grasping his sword and leaning on a go board

Robinson: S22.15

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Satsuma no Kami Tadanori (薩摩守忠度) seated at a writing-table with brush in hand

Robinson: S22.16

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Mimyô, the twelfth century Shirabyôshi dancer (白拍子微妙) crouching and holding a wide black hat amid falling cherry petals

Robinson: S22.17

 

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Tametomo’s wife Shiranui-hime (白縫姫) standing with a branch of cherry blossom and covering the lower part of her face with her sleeve

Robinson: S22.18

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Soga Gorô Tokimune (曾我五郎時宗) in boyhood with his hands clasped in prayer before an image of the god Fudô

Robinson: S22.19

Kuniyoshi - 100 Poets from the Literary Heroes of Our Country (S22

 

Scene: Tomoe-jo (巴女) seated and holding Yoshinaka’s helmet in the smoke from a small incense burner with a storage chest for armor behind her

Robinson: S22.20

 

“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 RETURN TO MAIN PAGE

 

KuniyoshiProject