Warrior triptychs

1836-1838

Title: On the Sea at Mizumata in Higo Province, Tametomo is Shipwrecked in a Storm (Higo no kuni Mizumata no kaijô nite Tametomo nampû chii, 肥後国水俣の海上にて為朝難風に遇う)

Description: Tametomo’s ship wrecked in a storm by a dragon in the clouds and a great fish with tengu flying to the rescue

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T30

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this simplified printing of the above design.

Title: Untitled

Description: Asahina Saburô on the seashore with a group of strange inhabitants of foreign lands

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T31

Title: Yoshitsune and His Twenty-one Retainers on a Ship (Yoshitsune no kenin ikki-tosen no niju-ikki no zu, 義経之家人一騎当千廾一騎之圖)

Description: Yoshitsune and his nineteen chief retainers in a ship

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T32

NOTE: This triptych is very similar to T82c an to T319.

Title: Miyamoto Musashi Bursting out of the Bathhouse (Miyamoto Musashi Shirakura ka dokushu no, 宮本無三四白倉毒手)

Description: Miyamoto Musashi bursting out of the bathhouse, to the consternation of Shirakura Gengoemon, his wife, and followers, who had intended to boil him alive there

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T33

NOTE: The signature reads ‘Chô-ô-rô Kuniyoshi ga’.

Title: Two Valiant Retainers of Kusunoki Masashige, Tsujikaze and Itamochi, Capture Kazu-uji Alive at the Battle of Fujii-dera (Kusunoki Masashige no shin Tsujikaze Itamochi no ryô-yûshi Fujiidera no kassen ni Kazu-uji wo ikedokoro zu, 楠正成の臣辻風板持の両勇士葛井寺の合戦に員氏を生捕圖)

Description: The Battle of Fujiidera in driving rain: Kazu-uji and Moronao, the Ashikaga generals, seized by the Kusunoki (1348)

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T34

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Title: The Soga Brothers Achieve Their Goal in the Night Attack in the Foothills of Fuji on the 28^th Day of the Fifth Month, 1193 Kenkyû yo-nen go-gwatsu nijûhachi-nichi Fuji no Susono Soga kyôdai yo-uchi hommô no zu, 建久四年五月廿八日冨士之裾野　曽我兄弟夜討本望之圖)

Description: The Soga brothers knocking over foe in the camp enclosure after killing Suketsune in 1193

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T35

Title: The Scene Where Inuzaka Keno Defeats His Enemy Ittota Kagoyama in Suzugamori (Inuzaka Keno Tanetomo Ômori to Suzu-no-mori no (犬坂毛野が鈴が森で仇敵籠山逸東太を討つ場面).

Description: The three Hakkenden heroes Inuzaka Keno Tanetomo (犬坂毛乃胤智), Inuda Kobungo (犬田小文吾) and Inukawa Shôsuke Yoshitomo (犬川荘介義任) engaged in a running fight with numerous opponents; Mount Fuji behind

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T36

Title: The Great Battle between Nitta Yoshisada and Ashikaga Takauji (Nitta Yoshisada Ashikaga Taka-uji ô-kassen, 新田義貞足利尊氏大合戦)

Description: The great battle (probably of Hyogo in

1335) between Nitta Yoshisada and Ashikaga Taka-uji: a general melee, with Shinozuka Iga no Kami grappling with Satô Tôtômi no Kami (left)

Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kiemon

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T37

Title: The Genpei War (Gempei kassen, 源平合戦)

Subtitle: Settsu Banshû no sakai Naniwa-gata Heike no etc.

Description: Battle on the shore outside the fortified Taira camp at Ichi-no-tani (1184): Hirayama Sueshige (right), Kumagae Naozane (center), Kumagae Sada-ie and Etchû Moritsugu (left)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T38

Title: Zushû Ishibashiyama Tobi-no-gake ni Minamoto no Yoritomo seijû shichi-ki gaboku no naka ni kakure zu (On Kite Cliff at Ishibashiyama in Izu Province, Minamoto Yoritomo and His Seven Followers Hide in a Hollow Tree, 豆州石橋山鳶之崖 ニ源頼朝主従七騎 臥木之中ニ隠ル図)

Description: The Battle of Ishibashiyama (1180) in the rain, showing Yoritomo and his seven companions hiding in the hollow tree, and the combat of Kagehisa with Yoshisada

Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei (listed as Ebi-ya Rinnosuke in Robinson)

Date: c. 1836

Robinson: T39

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this alternate state of the above design.

Title: Akasaka no shuku nite Ushiwaka Maru gôtô wo kiru (Ushiwakamaru and the Akasaka Robbery, 赤坂の宿にて牛若丸斬強盗)

Description: Ushiwaka fighting Chôhan and his gang at the post station

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: c.1836

Robinson: T40

Another state without light blue

Another state of the above design with black sky courtesy of Vladislav Shevyrev

Title: Hakkenden no uchi: Hôryûkaku (Horyu tower from Tale of Eight Dogs, 八犬傳之内法流閣)

Description: Inuzuka Shino at bay on the Hôryûkaku roof against Inukai Kempachi and his men, a favorite episode from the Hakkenden

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836-1837

Robinson: T41

Title: Iga Kozuke adauchi no zu (伊賀上野仇討ち圖, Revenge at Kozuke in Iga)

Description: A battle on a plain outside a castle. Sakuragi Rinzaemon fleeing on horseback (left), his followers chased by Karaki Masaemon (right), while others are engaged by Ishidome Busuke (right); in the background are Ubudai Rekishiro (left) racing to the assistance of Ikezoe Magohachi (centre) who is engaged with Azumaki Kurobei, and Sawai Matagoro with Wada Shizuma

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836-1837

Robinson: T41a (not in Robinson)

Title: Inuyama Dôsetsu Tadatomo shujin Orima-uji no kataki isoko no etc.

Description: Battle from the Hakkenden with a burning castle in the distance; Inukai Kempachi and Inumura Daikaku in white coats; Inuyama Dôsetsu and Inuzuka Shino in armor

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1836-1837

Robinson: T42

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this simplified varient of the above design.

Title: The Battle of Kurikaradani (Kurikaradani ô-kassen, 倶利伽羅谷合戦)

Description: The Battle of Kurikaradani (1183) by moonlight: Tomoe-gozen heaving a rock upon foemen clinging to a steep bank (left), Kiso Yoshinaka grappled with Mikawa no Kami Tomonori (center), and warriors fighting on a road (right)

Publisher: No seal

Date: c. 1837-1838

Robinson: T43

Another state of the above design

Title: On the Way to Kyoto, Minamoto no Raikô Meets Kaidômaru in the Ashigara Mountains of Sagami Province and Takes Him as a Retainer (Minamoto no Raikô jôraku Sagami no kuni Ashigarayama Kaidô o etamau, 源頼光上洛相模国足柄山怪童ヲゑ給ふ)

Description: Genji Tsuna watches Kaidômaru knocking a bear cub over a precipice; the latter’s mother Yama-uba (left) is also present

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô

Date: c. 1837-1838

Robinson: T44

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this alternate state of the above design.

Title: Reception of Yoshitsune and Noriyori by Yoritomo and His Assembled Nobles after Their Victory over the Taira (Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Heike tsuitô to shite Kama no Kanja Noriyo, 右大将頼朝公平家追討として蒲冠者範頼源九郎義経両大将にて源氏恩顧の諸軍勢出陣を賀しゐ之圖)

Description: Reception of Yoshitsune and Noriyori by Yoritomo and his assembled nobles after their victory over the Taira

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1837-1838

Robinson: T45

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Another state of the above design without shading (bokashi) in the water on the folding screen

Title: The Earth Spider Slain by Raikô’s Retainers (Minamoto no Yorimitsu no Shitennô tsuchigumo taiji no zu, 源頼光の四天王土蜘退治之圖)

Description: Raikô’s four retainers (Watanabe no Tsuna, Usui no Sadamitsu, Sakata no Kintoki, and Urabe no Suetake) about to kill the Earth-Spider in the midst of its web

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Date: c. 1838

Robinson: T46

“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