Warrior triptychs
1818-1831
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Title: Untitled Description: The ghosts of
Tomomori and the other Taira warriors slain at
Dan-no-ura attacking Yoshitsune
and Benkei in their ship Publisher: Azuma-ya Daisuke Date: 1818 Robinson: T1 NOTE: This is
generally considered to be Kuniyoshi’s earliest warrior triptych. |
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Title: Untitled Description: The hero Raikô (Minamoto no Yorimitsu)
in his sickness is tormented by the Earth Spider, one of whose legs he has
cut off, but it is replaced by a human arm Publisher: Nishimura-ya Yohachi Date: c.1818-20. Robinson: T1a NOTE: This may be
the left and middle sheets of a triptych |
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Title: Untitled Description: Tadanobu in Yoshitsune’s
armor, with his men, fighting Yokogawa Kakuhan and
his monks amid a flight of arrows in the snows of Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kihei Date: c.1820 Robinson: T2 |
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Title: Untitled Description: Raikô’s retainers advancing on Kidô
Maru, who raises his buffalo-hide disguise Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei Date: c. 1820 Robinson: T3 I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this
image. |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this sheet
from a different state published by Azuma-ya Daisuke. The large text box reads “Bakurocho
Ichi-chome [the publisher’s address], Azuma-ya Daisuke ban” (馬喰町一丁目, 東屋大助版). |
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Title: Untitled Description: The Earth-Spider and his demons
attacking the sick Raikô and his retainers Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi Date: c. 1820 Robinson: T4 I am grateful to Paul Steier for this image. |
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Title: Untitled Description: Ushiwaka Maru fighting Kumasaka Chôhan
and his gang at the post station Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi Date: c.1820 Robinson: T5 I am grateful to Vladislav Shevyrev for
this image. |
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Title: Untitled Description: Kuryû Saemon (栗生左衛門), Hata Rokurozaemon (畑六郎左衛門), Shinozuka
Iga-no-kami (篠塚伊賀守), and Watari Shinzaemon (渡新左衛門), all
retainers of Nitta Yoshisada Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi Date: c. 1820-1825 Robinson: T6 NOTE: Robinson describes this untitled triptych as
breaking up a haunted temple. However,
it may actually depict the Battle of Miidera. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for
information about this triptych. |
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Title: Untitled Description: The Nue, shot down in a
swirling black cloud by Gen Sammi Yorimasa (源三位頼政) is about to be
dispatched by Ii no Hayata (猪早太廣直). The soldier on the right panel is
identified as Watanabe Tadashi (渡邉丁七唱). Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi Date: c. 1820-1825 Robinson: T7 NOTE: The nue (鵺) was a beast
with the head of a monkey, the claws of a tiger, the back of a badger and a
snake for a tail. It spent its nights
on the roof of the Emperor’s palace, causing him grave illness until it was
slain by I no Hayata Hironao. Usually
Minamoto Yorimasa is credited with shooting it down
off the roof. |
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I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this
alternate state of the above design. |
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Title: Miracle of
the Deity at Hakone: The Cripple’s revenge (Hakone reigen izari
no ada-uchi. 箱根靈験之仇討) Description: The revenge
of Iinuma Katsugorô, with the apparition of his
wife Hatsu-hana in the waterfall Publisher: Nishimura-ya Yohachi Date: c. 1825 Robinson: T8 |
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Title: A Picture
Book of the Crossroads of Gappô (Ehon Gappô tsuji, 絵本合邦辻) Description: Takahashi Kambô defending himself on a huge image against a swarm
of attackers Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kihei Date: c. 1825 Robinson: T9 NOTE: This triptych illustrates a scene from
the kabuki play Ehon Gappô-ga-tsuji (An
Illustrated Picture Book of the Crossroads of Gappô,
繪本合法衢), which is a
dramatization of the then popular revenge novel, Gappô-ga-tsuji (The Crossroads of Gappô). |
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Another state of the above design |
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Title: Taira no
Kiyomori Encountering the Ghost of Yoshihiro at Nunobiki Falls (Kiyomori nyûdô
Nunobiki no taki yûran Akugenda Yoshihira no rei Namba Jirô
wo utsu, 清盛入道布引滝遊覧) Description: The ghost of Akugenda Yoshihira striking down his killer, Namba Jirô, at the Nunobiki waterfall before Kiyomori and his
suite Publisher: Ise-ya Sanjirô Date: c. 1825 Robinson: T10 |
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I am grateful to Vladislav Ruchkin for this variant of the above
design published by Daikoku-ya Heikichi.
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Title: The
Storehouse of Loyal Retainers: The Faithful Rônin
Withdraw to Takanawa (Chûshingura: gishi Takanawa
hikitori no zu, 忠臣蔵義士高輪引取之圖) Description: The
Forty-seven Rônin,
their task accomplished, retire to Takanawa; their leader Yuranosuke
interviewing a priest of the temple (right) Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiemon Date: 1827 Robinson: T11 |
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Title: Treasury of the Loyal Retainers:
Picture of the Night Attack (Chûishingura: yo-uchi no zu, 忠臣蔵夜討之圖) Description: The night
attack in the Chûishingura;
fight in the garden between the Forty-Seven Rônin and the retainers of Moronao,
some of whom (left) are defending their master’s hiding place Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiemon Date: c. 1827-1830 Robinson: T12 |
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Title: Treasury of the Loyal Retainers:
Picture of the Night Attack (Chûishingura: yo-uchi no zu, 忠臣蔵夜討之圖) Description: The night
attack in the Chûshingura; the Forty-seven Rônin beginning to go over Moronao’s
wall by rope ladders on either side of the main gate Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiemon Date: c. 1827-1830 Robinson: T13 |
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Title: Act XI of the Storehouse of Loyal Retainers: The
Rônin Assemble at Ryôgoku Bridge (Chûshingura
jûichi damme: Ryôgoku-bashi sei-soroi zu, 忠臣蔵十一段目両国橋勢揃圖) Description: Eleventh act
of the Chûshingura: the Forty-seven Rônin
assembled at sunrise in the snow at Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiemon Date: c. 1827-1830 Robinson: T14 I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this
image. |
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Title: Treasury of
the Loyal Retainers: The Forty-seven Ronin are Stopped by an Official after
Crossing the Ryogoku Bridge (Chûshingura: gishi Ryôgoku-bashi
hikitori no zu, 忠臣蔵義士両國橋引取之圖) Description: The
Forty-seven Rônin,
having crossed Ryôgoku bridge on
their triumphant return, are interviewed by a mounted official (right) Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichibei Date: c. 1827-1830 Robinson: T15 |
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Title: Untitled Description: Preparations
for the defense of the Horikawa Palace: Shizuka-gozen
is handed a naginata by one of her
maids, while Tadanobu gets out his armor (left); Yoshitsune,
armed with a naginata, hurries
along the veranda (center); and Benkei, grasping an iron club, gives
directions (right) Publisher: Nishimura-ya Yohachi Date: c. 1830 Robinson: T16 |
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Title: The Battle of
Yashima (Yashima ô-kassen, 八島大合戦) Description: Yoshitsune executing his “eight boat leap” (hassô-tobi), cutting
through a rudder and a wooden shield that have been thrown at him Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei Date: c. 1830 Robinson: T17 NOTE: This triptych
is known both with and without a black sky. |
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Title: The Battle of
the Uji River (Ujigawa kassen no zu, 宇治川合戦之圖) Description: Takatsuna leading, followed by Kagesue
and Shigetada Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô Date: c. 1831 Robinson: T18 I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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Another state of the above design with blue
replacing purple |
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This reissue of the above design dates from about 1845 and bears
the seals of the publisher Ômi-ya Heihachi and the
censor |
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Title: None Description: Abe Sadatô (安部貞任) and Hachimantarô Yoshiie (八幡太郎義家) facing each other on horseback Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô (川正板) Date: c. 1820s Robinson: T18a (not in
Robinson) NOTE: This diptych shows
the “poetry battle” following the Battle of Koromogawa, where Yoshiie
challenged the fleeing Abe Sadatô. The
story relates that Sadatô, seeing he has lost, escapes the fort through a
back exit, only to be spotted and pursued by Yoshiie, who catches up with him
near the Koromo River. As he pursues
Sadatô, Yoshiie calls to him to quit running and return to fight, and then
recites “Koromo no tate wa hokorobi-nikeri” (“The woof [tate]
of your robe [koromo] is in tatters,” or “your citadel [tate]
at Koromo is destroyed”). Sadatô
pauses, shakes his head, and responds “toshi o heshi ito no midare no
kurushisa ni” (“having endured the disarray of old threads [ito]
that have seen many years,” or “amid the suffering brought about by the
muddling of [battle] plans [ito] of many years”). Yoshiie is so impressed, that he removes
the arrow already fitted to his bow and turns away. This collaborative poem (renga)
appears in the upper part of the diptych.
I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this information. |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image of
Wada Yoshimori (和田義盛), which is similar to the preceding diptych and is also published by
Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô. |
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Title: None Description: Matano Gorô (股野五郎) and Sanada Yoichi (眞田與市) facing each other on horseback Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô (川正板) Date: c. 1820s Robinson: T18b (not in
Robinson) I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
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I am grateful to
Robert Pryor for this alternate state of the above design with blue pine
needles. |
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Description: Kajiwara Kagetoki (梶原 景時) crossing the
Uji River Publisher: Unidentified Date: c. 1818-1831 Robinson: T18c (not in
Robinson) |
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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. CLICK
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