Warrior triptychs

1842-1843, Part I

Title: Heishôgoku Nyûdô wa Go-Shirakawa-tei no otoshigo nite etc. (平相国入道ハ白河帝の落胤にして祇園女御の御腹なり)

Description: Kiyomori at Miyajima arresting the sunset by incantations, so that work could proceed on his new buildings

Publisher: Tsuji-ya Yasubei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T83

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Another state of the above triptych without any purple

Title: Minamoto no Yoshitsune Ichi-no-tani chôjô jin soroi zu (Yoshitsune and his men looking down on the Taira position at Ichi-no-tani from the precipice of Hiyodori-goe, 源義経一ノ谷頂上陣揃図)

Description: Yoshitsune and his men looking down on the Taira position at Ichi-no-tani from the precipice of Hiyodori-goe

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T84

Title: Ushiwaka Maru Ôshû gekô no toki etc.

Description: Onzôshi Ushiwakamaru (Yoshitsune as a boy) outside the house of Jôruri-hime serenading her with his flute, which she accompanies within on her koto

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T85

Title: Yoritomo-kô Tsuru-ga-oka no shinzen ni oite Shizuka-gozen no mai wo miru no zu

Description: Shizuka-gozen dancing as a shirabyôshi before Yoritomo and his assembled nobles at Tsuru-ga-oka

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T86

This 1849-1851 triptych by Kunisada bears a strong resemblance to Kuniyoshi’s earlier design.

Title: Kamakura sei Ôshû shimpatsu no zu

Description: Yoritomo and his men marching north to Mutsu in 1189

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T87

Title: Yoritomo hata-age kassen Yamaki Hangwan ga tachi ni yo-uchi no zu

Description: The battle of the setting-up of Yoritomo’s standard: his night-attack on the palace of Yamaki Hangwan Kanetaka on September 9, 1180

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T88

Image courtesy of Daniele Hafner

Title: Shôgun Tarô Yoshikado mikata wo atsumen ga tame etc.

Description: Yoshikado (center), his sister Takiyasha (left), Iga Jutarô (right) and their followers watching the magic toads wrestling

Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kiyemon

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T89

Title: Kaidômaru eboshi gi no zu (怪童丸烏帽子着之図, The Capping Ceremony of Kaidômaru)

Description: Kaidômaru being prepared by ladies to assume the formal dress of manhood, including the black-lacquered headgear carried by the lady on the left

Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T90

I am grateful to Davor Solter for identifying this triptych.

Title: Higo no kuni mononofu Aso no Saburô Taira no Tadakuni ga musume Shiranui etc.

Description: Girls throwing branches of cherry blossom at Tametomo at the time of his betrothal to Shiranui, daughter of Aso Tadakuni of Higo

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T91

NOTE: This triptych was republished in an altered form in 1854 by Hirabayashi-ya Shôgorô for the kabuki play Matsu icho tsuru kame Soga

Title: Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo Oniyasha wo annai to shite etc.

Description: Tametomo and his followers in their ship, with Oniyasha at the prow

Publisher: Nuno-Kichi

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T92

Title: Minamoto no Yoshitsune’s First Visit to Fujiwara’s Hidehira (Minamoto no Yoshitsune Ôshû gekô Hiraizumi tachi ni Hidehira no oyako ni taimen no zu, 濃州屋安兵衛　＜濃安＞ 嘉永～明治)

Description: Formal reception of Yoshitsune and his men by Hidehira at his castle of Hiraizumi in Mutsu Province

Publisher: Nuno-Kichi

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T93

Title: Combat between Sanada and Matano at the Great Battle of Mount Ishibashi in the Genpei War on the Night of the Twenty-second Day of the Eight Month, 1180 (Jishô yo-nen hachi-gwatsu nijuni-nichi yo Gempei Ishibashiyama Daikassen Sanada Matano kumiuchi zu, 源平石橋山大合戦佐奈田俣野組討図)

Description: The battle of Ishibashiyama on September 14, 1180 with the single combat of Sanada Yoshisada and Matano Kagehisa on a rock (right), Takatsuna fighting against odds (center) and Yoritomo shooting (left)

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T94

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Title: Kiso Yoshinaka no omoimono Tomoye-gozen to iu shita etc.

Description: Tomoye-gozen pulling the ear of Nagase Hangwan in the presence of Tezuka Tarô Mitsumori, Yoshinaka, and Yamabuki-gozen

Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shokichi (Robinson read this publisher’s seal as “Yebi-Ne”)

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T95

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Title: Bunji gen-nen san-gwatsu Antoku-tei Heike no hito mi ni etc.

Description: Mitsutoki reporting to Tomomori at the Battle of Dan-no-ura on April 25, 1185 in the presence of Dainagon Tenji, Nii no Ama, Kenrei-monin, Go-Tenji and the boy-Emperor Antoku

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T96

Title: Go-Shirakawa no Hô-ô no Horikawa no gosho wo ba (土佐坊昌俊義経が宿所に夜討の図)

Description: Benkei (blowing a conch shell), Shizuka-gozen and Yoshitsune preparing to

meet Tosa-bô Shôshun’s attack on the Horikawa Palace

Publisher: Taka-Ji

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T97

Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo Daibutsu kuyô no zu (Minamoto Yoritomo Visiting the Great Buddha at Tôdaiji Temple)

Description: The attempted arrest of Kagekiyo in the precincts of Tôdaiji Temple in April, 1195

Publisher: Yoshimi-ya Sonokichi

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T98

NOTE: Another artist, Hiroshige, designed the landscape and background figures.

Another state of the above design

Title: Yoritomo-kô mikari no zu (頼朝公御狩之)

Description: Tadatsune killing the monstrous wild boar, watched by Yoritomo and his followers

Publisher: Unidentified

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T99

Title: Soga no Hako-ô Maru wa haha etc.

Description: Hako-ô Maru (Soga Gorô) before Kudô Suketsune with noblemen in attendance

Publisher: Koga-ya Katsugorô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T100

Title: Wada Yoshimori ichimon kujûsan-gi Ôiso ni oite etc.

Description: Soga Gorô outside the shôji while the great feast given by Wada Yoshimori at Ôiso proceeds within

Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T101

Title: Soga monogatari: sono toki Tokimune ôi-ni ikari kobushi wo etc.

Description: Asahina Saburô (center) knocks down Yawata Shichirô (left), watched by the Soga brothers (right)

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T102

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

Title: Soga Tokimune hon-i wo etc.

Description: Soga Gorô fighting his way towards Yoritomo, who sits surrounded by his followers in pouring rain

Publisher: Sakurai

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T103

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Title: Soga yo-uchi no zu (Night Attack of the Soga Brothers, 曽我夜討之図)

Description: Soga Jurô engaged by Nitta Shirô Tadatsune in pouring rain

Publisher: Sakurai

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T104

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image. This triptych and the previous triptych may be placed side-by-side to form a six-sheet composition:

Title: Kusunoki Masatsura Nagaragawa no funabashi wo kitte Ashikaga (楠正行長柄川の舟橋を切て足利の大軍を破る図)

Description: The Battle of the Nagaragawa in 1347 with Masatsura’s troops crossing a bridge of boats

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T105

“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 GO TO PART II