Comic Comparisons of the Koma Pieces in the Game of Shôgi

(Koma kurabe shôgi no tawamure, 駒くらべ 将棋の戯れ)

Publisher: Gusoku-ya Kahei

c. 1840

 

Shôgi is a Japanese game something like chess.  Most of the prints show samurai, whose helmets have been replaced by pentagonal shôgi game pieces.  These prints are of chûban size (approximately 7 by 10 inches or 18 by 25 centimeters) and were printed two per sheet on ôban sized paper (approximately 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters).  This series of prints is listed as number 188 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).

 

 

A keima piece is weighing in the balance (Keima no tenbin)

 

It's a big loss as a hisha piece is captured (Hisha o ikedorarecha makeda)

 

Setsuin e hairi kakari

 

Are bisha

 

Checkmate (Ôte)

 

The knight’s loin cloth (Keima no fundoshi)

 

Naribisha secchin no ôshô o tasukedasu

 

Atama kara kinshô de pishari

 

Look, many captured koma pieces in my hand (Ote ni wa kono tôri)

 

 Lost in thoughts (Heta no kangae)

 

Keima no takaagari

Fu no ejiki

 

Hisha tori ôte

 

Naked king (Hadaka ôshô)

 

Stop, wait!  Wait, wait!  (Matte kunne Matane matane)

 

 

Kodomo ga kite wa tamaranie

 

Hisha kaku no torikae

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