Warrior triptychs

1842-1843, Part I

Text: The Nyûdô of Heisô Province was a descendant of Emperor Shirakawa and the wife of Gion Nyogo (Heishôgoku Nyûdô wa Go-Shirakawa-tei no otoshigo nite, 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: Taira 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: Yoshitsune and his men looking down on the Taira position at Ichi-no-tani from the precipice of Hiyodori-goe (Minamoto no Yoshitsune Ichi-no-tani chôjô jin soroi zu, 源義経一ノ谷頂上陣揃圖)

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: Ushiwakamaru and Jôruri-hime (Ushiwaka Maru Ôshû gekô no toki, 牛若丸と浄瑠璃姫)

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 (静御前) 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, which shows Shizuka Gozen Dances before Minamoto no Yoritomo, bears a strong resemblance to Kuniyoshi’s earlier design.

Title: Picture of Kamakura (Yoritomo) Marching off (Kamakura sei Ôshû shimpatsu no zu, 鎌倉芳進発之圖)

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

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T87

Title: Picture of Yoritomo’s Night Attack on Yamaki Hangwan (Yoritomo hata-age kassen Yamaki Hangwan ga tachi ni yo-uchi no zu, 頼朝籏上合戦山木??夜討之圖)

Description: The battle of the setting-up of Yoritomo’s standard: his night-attack on the palace of Yamaki Hangwan Kanetaka (山木判官兼高) on September 9, 1180

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T88

Image courtesy of Daniele Hafner

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

Description: Shôgun Tarô Yoshikado (太郎良門, center), his sister Takiyasha (滝夜叉姫, left), Iga Jutarô (伊賀寿太郎, right) and their followers watching the magic toads wrestling

Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kiyemon

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T89

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

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.

Text: On the wedding night of Hachirô Kanja Tametomo and Shiranui, daughter of the warrior Aso no Saburô Taira no Tadakuni of Higo province, the ladies-in-waiting tried to congratulate the bridegroom by hitting him with branches of flowering cherry, but before they even came close, he used a fan to knock down all the branches, without a single one touching him (Higo no kuni mononofu Aso no Saburô Taira no Tadakuni ga musume Shiranui to Hachirô Kanja Tametomo to kon'in no yo koshimotodomo mukogimi o kotohogi sakura no hitoeda o mote utan to suru o hotori e mo yosetsukezu ôgi ni te mochitaru eda o hitotsu mo todomezu uchiotosu, たいらただくにむすめしらぬい）」「御曹司為朝（おんぞうしためとも）」「肥後国武士阿蘇三郎平忠（ひごのくにものゝふあそのさぶらうたいらのたゞ）国が娘白縫と八郎冠者為朝と婚姻（こんいん）の夜（よ）女使共（こしもとども）聟君（むこぎみ）を祝（ことほ）ぎ桜の一枝をもて打たんとするを辺（ほと）りへも寄せつけず扇にて合手（もち）たる枝を一つもとゞめず打落（うちおと）す).

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, with Oniyasha as His Guide, Travels to Various Islands and Demonstrates His Ferocity (Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo Oniyasha o annaija toshite shimajima e oshiwatari môi o furuu zu, 鎮西八郎為朝鬼夜叉を案内者として島ゞへおし渡り猛威をふるふ圖)

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

Text: Ushiwakamaru… gold merchant… (Ushiwakamaru… kaneakiudo… yamabushi, 牛若丸… 金商人…柳下小六…山伏 …)

Description: Left sheet: 柳下小六 (translation uncertain)

Center sheet: Ushiwakamaru (牛若丸) and Kaneuri Kichiuchi (金卖吉内)

Right sheet: Kaneuri Kichiji (金卖吉治)

Publisher: Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô

Date: 1842-1846 (censor Murata Sahei)

Robinson: T93a (not in Robinson)

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information.

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圖)

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.

Text: Tomoe Gozen Punishes Nagase Hangan (Kiso Yoshinaka no omoimono Tomoe Gozen to iu shita)

Description: Tomoe Gozen (巴御前) pulling the ear of Nagase Hangwan (長瀬判官) in the presence of Tezuka Tarô Mitsumori (手塚太郎光盛), Yoshinaka Kiso (木曽義仲), and Yamabuki Gozen (山吹御前)

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.

Text: 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: Tosanobo Shoshun’s Night Attack on the Residence of Yoshitsune (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圖)

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 Yoritomo Visiting the Great Buddha at Tôdaiji Temple (Minamoto Yoritomo Daibutsu kuyô no zu, 源頼朝大仏供養之圖)

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: Lord Yoritomo’s Hunting Party (Yoritomo-kô mikari no zu (頼朝公御狩之圖)

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

Publisher: Unidentified

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T99

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

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

Publisher: Koga-ya Katsugorô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T100

Title: Wada Yoshimori’s Feast at Oiso (Wada Yoshimori ichimon kujûsan-gi Ôiso ni oite)

Description: Soga Gorô (曽我五郎) outside the shôji while the great feast given by Wada Yoshimori (和田義盛) at Ôiso proceeds within

Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T101

Title: The Tale of the Soga Brothers (Soga monogatari, 曽我物語)

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.

Text: Soga Tokimune hon-i wo etc.

Description: Soga Gorô Tokimune (曽我五郎時宗) fighting his way towards Yoritomo (頼朝), 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: Night Attack of the Soga Brothers (Soga yo-uchi no zu, 曽我夜討之圖)

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: Illustration of Masayuki Kusunoki Cutting the Pontoon Bridge across the Nagara River and Defeating the Large Ashikaga Army (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圖)

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