Warrior triptychs
1839-1841, Part II
Title: Awazu-ga-hara ô-kassen:
Yoshinaka Shitennô Imai Shirô
Kanehira etc. Description: Prowess of Imai Kanehira
at the battle of Awazu in March, 1184; he is shown
fighting under the pine tree of Karasaki on the
shore of Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T63 I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this
image. |
Title: Washi-no-o no Saburô
Ichi-no-tani Hiyodori-goe
no annaisha to naru zu (鷲ノ尾三郎一の谷鵯越の案内者となる図) Description: Washio Saburô struggling with a black bear, watched by Yoshitsune and his retainers on Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T64 |
Note Yoshitsune’s sleeve in the left
panel of this alternate state of the above design. |
Title: Yoshitsune’s Troop Attacking Group of the Heike from the
Top of Ichinotani Hill (Yoshitsune no gumpei Ichi-no-tani saka-otoshi no zu, 義経之軍兵一ノ谷逆落之図) Description: Yoshitsune leading his men in the descent of the Hiyodori-goe Gorge at the Battle of Ichi-no-tani on Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T65 NOTE: Several
examples of this state have been located, and they all have the three
signature cartouches in different colors.
This example is courtesy of Marc DeVriese. |
Two sheets from another state of the above
design |
Title: Banshû Suma-ga-mori no sakura
ni Yoshitsune kôsatsu wo tatsuru zu (Yoshitsune Has a Signboard Put up for the Cherry Tree at
Suma Temple in Harima Province, 播州須磨寺ノ櫻ニ義経高札ヲ立ル図) Description: Yoshitsune (center) and his followers under the
cherry-trees of Suma receiving Kumagai Naozane
(left) with the head of Atsumori in a box after the
Battle of Ichi-no-tani on March 21, 1184 Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichibei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T66 |
Another state of the above design with a partly
black sky |
Title: Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Kajiwara sakaro sôron no zu (The
Quarrel Between Yoshitsune and Kajiwara Kagetoki about Reversed Oars before the Battle of
Yashima, 源義経梶原逆艪争論図) Description: The quarrel
between Yoshitsune and Kajiwara Kagetoki
about ‘reversed oars’ (sakaro)
before the Battle of Yashima on Publisher: Arita-ya Seiemon Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T67 |
Another state of the above design |
Title: Gempei Yashima ô-kassen Description: The great
battle of Yashima on Publisher: Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T68 |
Note the mountains in the left panel of the alternate state. |
Title: Nagato no kuni Akama-ga-ura Gempei ô-kassen Description: The great Battle
of Akama-ga-ura (usually known as the Battle of
Dan-no-ura): Yoshitsune
performing his ‘eight boat leap’ pursued by Noritsune
and Moritsugu Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T69 NOTE: Yoshitsune’s superhuman “eight boat leap” (hassô-tobi) is
usually associated with the Battle of Yashima, rather than the |
Title: Sesshû Daimotsu-no-ura ni Heike no onryô arawaruru no zu (The Ghosts of the Heike Appear at Daimotsu Bay in Settsu Province, 摂州大物浦平家怨霊顕る図) Description: The ghosts of
the Taira attacking Yoshitsune’s ship in Publisher: Nuno-Kichi Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T70 |
I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this
alternate state with a red title cartouche. |
Title: Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Susono maki-gari seisen zu (Lord
Yoritomo’s Hunting Party Assembles in the Foothills of Mount Fuji, 右大将頼朝公裾野牧狩勢揃図) Description: Yoritomo’s
hunting-party assembling on Suso Moor under Mount Fuji in 1193 Publisher: Arita-ya Seiemon (listed as Arita-ya Seijirô by Robinson) Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T71 I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image. |
Another state of the above design, also published by Arita-ya Seiemon, courtesy of Marc DeVriese |
One sheet from another state of the above triptych published by
Yamashiro-ya Jinbei, whose seal reads “Yamajin han” (山甚板) |
Title: Kenkyû yo-nen Minamoto
no Yoritomo Fuji maki-gari no zu Description: Tadatsune about to receive the charge of the monstrous
boar, watched by Yoritomo and his followers in 1193 Publisher: Mori-ya Jihei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T72 NOTE: The panels in
this triptych are each approximately 20 by 8 inches (50 by 20 centimeters), a
size known either as nagaban
or as chôban. |
Title: Yoritomo-kô Fuji
no mi-kari no zu (Lord Yoritomo’s Hunt at Mount Fuji, 頼朝公富士之御狩ノ図) Description: Yoritomo and
his followers watching Tadatsune killing the
monstrous wild boar Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T73 I am grateful to Vladislav Ruchkin for this image. |
Another state of the above design courtesy of Marc DeVriese. Note the
red signature cartouches. |
Title: Udaishô Yoritomo-kô
sumô go-ran no zu (The Great Wrestling Match before Yoritomo and His Son Sanetomo: Chokyo Wrestling with Chikatsune,
右大将頼朝公相撲御覧図) Description: The great sumô wrestling match before Yoritomo
and his son Sanetomo: Chôkyô wrestling with Chikatsune, umpired by Ogata Saburô
Masayoshi Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T74 |
Title: Untitled Description: Egara Heita Tanenaga,
having been swallowed by a giant python, cuts his way out, while Izumi Kojirô Chikahira and Wada Kojirô Yoshishige control the monster Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T75 NOTE: Some of the woodblocks for this triptych were
originally used for the kabuki play Isse Ichidai
Kuriki no Myônoji (一世一代功力妙法字), which was
performed in the 11th month of 1838. |
Title: Taiheiki Tenryûgawa no ukihashi no zu (太平記天龍川之浮橋ノ図) Description: Nitta Yoshisada and Funada Nyûdô together leaping the gap in the broken bridge
across the Tenryûgawa in 1335 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô and Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T76 NOTE: Jôshû-ya Kinzô’s seal is on the
left sheet, and Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô’s
seal is on the right sheet. |
No image
available Title: Miidera kassen: Nitta
no Shitennô etc. Description: A charge led
by Wakiya Uemon-no-suke
Yoshisuke (the younger brother of Nitta Yoshisada)
at the Battle of Miidera Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T77 |
Title: Nitta Sachûjô Yoshisada jûroku-gi no eiyû no tomo ni etc. Description: Nitta Yoshisada and his little band of heroes on the shore awaiting
the host of Ashikaga Taka-uji, whose ships are seen approaching in the mist
prior to the Battle of the Minatogawa in 1336 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T78 |
Title: Kusunoki
Masatsura kyôgun mi hatsukô
wo mite (Kusunoki Masatsura and His
Staff on a Cliff Watching Ashikaga’s Troops, 楠正行京軍之発向を見て諸士を集へて敵を砕の謀軍立の手賦を議し給ふ圖)
Description: Kusunoki Masatsura
on a hillock surrounded by his staff watching the massing of the Ashikaga
troops under the opposing cliff
Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T79 I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for the
image. |
Another state of the above design |
Title: Ryakuô nen-chû Enya Hangwan keshi shi-jû-shichi ki etc. Description: The night
attack of the Forty-Seven Rônin:
the fight in Moronao’s garden, crossed by a long
wooden gallery Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T80 |
Title: Chûshingura shijûshichi-nin:
gishi shôkô no zu (47 Ronin
burning incense before the tomb of their master Asano Takumi no Kami, 忠臣蔵四十七人 義士焼香之図) Description: The
Forty-Seven Rônin burning incense
before the tomb of their master Enya Hangwan after
avenging his death Publisher: Maru-ya Jimpachi Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T81 |
Title: Kwanzeon no reigen: hitotsuya no furu-koto rôba no sekiaku etc. Description: The Hag of
Adachi-ga-hara in the Lonely House (hitotsuya) with her girl-victim and the apparition of the
goddess Kwannon Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T82 |
I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate
state of the above design. |
Title: The Igagoe Revenge (伊賀上) Description: Publisher: Mori-ya Jihei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T82a (not
listed by Robinson) NOTE: The panels in
this triptych are each approximately 20 by 8 inches (50 by 20 centimeters), a
size known either as nagaban
or as chôban. |
Title: Iga Kozuke adauchi no zu (Revenge at Kozuke in Iga, 伊賀上野仇討ち圖) Description: 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. 1839-1841 Robinson: T82b (not
listed by Robinson) |
Title: Yoshitsune
(no) jûku-shin (The Nineteen
Retainers of Yoshitsune, 義経十九臣) Description: Yoshitsune and his nineteen retainers in a ship with
Benkei at the prow Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei Date: c. 1839-1841 Robinson: T82c (not
listed by Robinson) NOTE: This triptych
is very similar to T32 and to T319. I
am grateful to Marc DeVriese for the image. |
Title: Description: Kusunoki Masashige’s (楠木正成) attack on Akasaka-jô (下赤坂城, Lower Akasaka Fortress) in 1331 Publisher: Ezaki-ya Kichibei Date: c. 1840 Robinson: T82d (not listed by Robinson) I am grateful to John Haessle for this image. |
“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
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