Origins of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai

(Seichû gishi hottan, 誠忠義士発端)

Publisher: Kame-ya Iwakichi

1848

This series of prints is a supplement to the series Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai (Seichû gishi den). The two series differ only in the text within the red cartouche in the upper right corner. The prints in these series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

Title: Lord Kô no Moronao (Kô no Musashi-no-kami Moronao, 高武藏守師直)

Scene: Lord Kô no Moronao, the historical Kira Yoshinaka, standing in a formal robe

Robinson: S55.1

Number on print: None

Another state of the above design, possibly from a triptych of a kabuki production

Title: Momonio Wakasanosuke Naotsune (桃井若狭助直常)

Scene: Momonoi Wakasanosuke Naotsune standing with raised open fan

Robinson: S55.2

Number on print: 2 (㊁)

Title: Enya Hangan Takasada (塩谷判官高貞)

Scene: Enya Hangan Takasada, the historical Asano Naganori, wearing a yellow robe seated with a folded fan in front of him

Robinson: S55.3

Number on print: None

NOTE: This print also exists with the cartouche reading “Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai” (Seichû gishi den, 誠忠義士傳)

Title: Enya’s Wife, the Lady Kazuyo (Enya no okugata Kazuyo gozen, 塩谷の奥方かずよ御前)

Scene: Kayo-gozen bending slightly forward and holding up her kimono

Robinson: S55.4

Number on print: None

I am grateful to Giorgio Pasqualini for this alternate state of the above design

Title: Kakogawa’s Daughter, Korô (Kakogawa no musume Korô, 加古川の女見小浪)

Scene: Korô standing with the edge of her gown in her mouth

Robinson: unlisted

Number on print: 1 (㊀)

Title: Kakogawa Honzô Yukikuni (加古川本蔵行國)

Scene: Kakogawa Honzô Yukikuni with a towel in his mouth holding a branch in front of him

Robinson: unlisted

Number on print: 3 (㊂)

This series is one of several of Kuniyoshi’s that are similar in appearance, having a single full-length figure on a more-or-less plane background with a descriptive text above. While some of these have the series title in distinctively shaped cartouches, several have the series titles in vertical red cartouches with convex tops and concave bottoms. This latter group of title cartouches is reproduced below.

	Series title in Japanese: Meikô hyaku yû den Series title in English: Stories of 100 Heroes of High Renown Robinson: S31
	Series title in Japanese: Seichû gishi den Series title in English: Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai Robinson: S54, except S54.38 and some copies of S54.39
	Series title in Japanese: Seichû gishi den no okori Series title in English: Origins of Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai Robinson: S54.38 and some copies of S54.39
	Series title in Japanese: Seichû gishi hottan Series title in English: Origins of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai Robinson: S55
	Series title in Japanese: Seichû gishin den Series title in English: Stories of Faithful Hearts and True Loyalty Robinson: S56
	Series title in Japanese: Kôetsu yûshô den Series title in English: Stories of Courageous Generals of the Provinces of Echigo and Kai Robinson: S63

“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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