Warrior triptychs

1842-1843, Part II

Title: Iga Kôzuke ada-uchi (The Igagoe Revenge, 伊賀上野敵討)

Description: Shizuma engaging Matagorô (right and center) while Masaemon fights against odds (left)

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T106

Title: Nijô-in no toki... (二条院の時...)

Description: Gen Sammi Yorimasa standing with his bow (right), his wife Ayame-no-mae seated (center) and his squire Ii no Hayata Tadazumi (left) also seated

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T107

Title: Minamoto no Ushiwaka Maru Yahagi no chôja ga moto tachiyori tamau zu (源牛若丸矢矧長者が許立寄給圖)

Description: Ushiwaka Maru (牛若丸) and Kisanda (鬼三太) being summoned by one of Jôruri-hime’s maids with Jôruri-hime playing the koto in the house behind

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T108

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

Title: Gempei seisuiki: Sanshû Yashima kassen (History of the Ups and Downs of the Minamoto and Taira: The Battle of Yashima in Sanuki Province, 源平盛衰記 讃州八嶋合戦)

Description: The Battle of Yashima in Sanuki Province on March 23, 1184: Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo chasing Kunitoshi along the shore while Tsuginobu, shielding Yoshitsune, is shot by Noritsune from his boat

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô (Robinson gives publisher as Jôshû-ya Jûzô)

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T109

NOTE: The series History of the Ups and Downs of the Minamoto and Taira (Gempei seisuiki, 源平盛衰記) consists of five triptychs. In Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) the series is listed as S19, but the individual triptychs are listed as T58, T59, T60, T109 and T123.

Title: Saimyôji Tokiyori Nyûdô shokoku shugyô no... (Lord Chûnagon Suketoshi, son of Lord Dainagon Suketomo…, 最明寺時頼入道諸国修行の折から常世が茅屋に宿りて夫婦の忠義貞操を憐む図)

Description: Tokiyori, the Hôjô regent, in monk’s habit, at the house of Tsuneyo in the snow; the latter’s daughter Shiratae cuts a valuable bonsai (dwarf tree) to make a fire

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô (listed as “Sakurai” in Robinson)

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T110

Title: Taira no Masakado isshi Shôgun Tarô Yoshikado etc.

Description: Iga Jutarô (left), Yoshikado (center), and his sister Takiyasha (right) with their gang in the old temple where they lived

Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T111

NOTE: This triptych is similar to T219.

Title: Yoshi-ie Mikawa Zenji ga musume ni etc.

Description: Hachiman-tarô Yoshi-ie (八幡太郎義家) cuts off the corner of a go board with his sword, while Nareginu, daughter of Mikawa Zenji, holds up a lantern, and Abe no Munetô (安部の宗任) stands glowering outside

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T111a

Title: Konoe-no-in no gyo-u Nimpyô san-nen (Gen Zanmi Yorimasa Shooting the Monster Nue, 源三位頼政鵺退治)

Description: Yorimasa shooting down the nue from above the palace of the Emperor Konoe in 1153

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T112

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state of the above design with different colors in the foreground, text cartouche (right upper corner), and cartouche with the carver’s signature (彫石川金八, left lower corner).

Title: Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo Izu no Ôshima ni te utte no hyôsen o iru no zu (At Izu no Ôshima, Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo Shoots an Enemy Warship with an Arrow, 鎮西八郎為朝伊豆の大島にて討手の兵船を射るの図)

Description: Tametomo (left) sinking the foremost ship of Mochimitsu’s fleet with a single arrow; his mistress Sasarae and his henchman Oniyasha, armed with a naginata and an iron club respectively with the rough islanders look on in admiration

Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Yasubei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T113

NOTE: Another edition with a different publisher’s seal and different text is listed as T140 in Robinson. It is not clear which is the earlier printing.

Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo-kô shoshô wo atsume (Yoritomo Presiding at a War-council of All His Chief Followers in His Battle against the Taira with the Rivalry of Sasaki and Kajiwara, 源頼朝諸将を集め平家征伐の先陣を佐々木梶原にのぞむ図)　

Description:

Publisher: Kazusa-ya Iwazô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T114

Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo Sumidagawa hata-age chakutô seizoroe no zu

Description: Presentation of a naginata to Hatakeyarna Shigetada by Hôjô Tokimasa before Yoritomo (all in center panel) on the banks of the Sumida River in 1180, with many warriors in attendance

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T115

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Another state of the above design

Title: Kiso Kwanja Yoshinaka Heike wo horobasan to ichizoku etc.

Description: Yoshinaka’s farewell parade on going to war with the Taira in 1180 with Tomoe-gozen riding off (left)

Publisher: Kagi-ya Hanjirô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T116

NOTE: This triptych was modified in 1849-1852 to become T244. The head of Tomoe-gozen was recut as Wakiya Yoshisuke, while Yoshinaka became Yoshisada and Yamabuki-gozen became Kôtô-no-naishi.

Title: Koshigoejô (腰越状), Minamoto no Yoshitsune Heike wo horoboshite nochi etc.

Description: After a slanderer put doubts of his loyalty into the mind of Lord Yoritomo, Yoshitsune reading his plea to his brother Yoritomo after his victory over the Taira on July 3, 1185 (the text of the ‘Koshigoejô Letter’ occupies the upper part of the print)

Publisher: To-Sawa

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T117

Title: Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Tsuru-ga-oka Hachiman-gû e hôraku no tame etc.

Description: Yoritomo releasing 1,000 cranes (a pious Buddhist practice) on the shore at Tsuru-ga-oka

Publisher: Sano-Ichi

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T118

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

Title: Minamoto no Yoriie-kô Kamakura Kotsubo no umi yûran Asahina Yoshihide shiyû no wani wo tôfu zu (源頼家公鎌倉小壷海遊覧 朝夷義秀雌雄鰐を捕ふ図)

Description: Asahina Yoshihide’s fight with two crocodiles in the sea off Kamakura, watched by the Shôgun Yori-ie and his nobles in boats

Publisher: Sôshû-ya Yohei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T119

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

Title: Dainagon Suketomo-kô no soku Chûnagon Suketoshi-kô etc.

Description: Kumawaka Maru (熊若丸), son of Dainagon Suketomo, and the wife of Shinozuka Iga no Kami outside a house in the snow

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T120

Title: Hyôgo no omote ô-kassen no zu (Great Battle in Outer Hyôgo, 兵庫表大合戦之図)

Description: Encounter of the troops of Kusunoki Masashige and the Ashikaga in mid-stream in 1336

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Jûzô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T121

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Family Tree of Minamoto Family (Genke shotô sofu koden, 源家正統祖譜小伝)

Description: An illustrated family tree of the main line of the Minamoto Clan from Sadazumi Shinnô (874-916), son of Emperor Seiwa, to Yoshitsune as follows:

RIGHT-HAND SHEET

(above): Asahi Shôgun Yoshinaka and Chinjufu Shôgun Minamoto no Yoriyoshi

(middle): Mutsu no Kami Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Reizei-in Hangwandai Yorinobu

(below): Sama Gon-no-kami Tada Mitsunaka and Rokusonnô Tsunemoto

MIDDLE SHEET

(above): Hachiman-tarô Yoshi-ie (八幡太郎義家), Sadazumi Shinnô and Rokujô Hangwan Tameyoshi

(middle): Shinra Saburô Yoshimitsu

(below): Chinzei Hachirô Tametomo and Sama-no-kami Yoshitomo

LEFT-HAND SHEET

(above): Udaishô Yoritomo and Kaba-no-Kwanja Noriyori

(middle): Tayû no Hangwan Yoshitsune

(below): Tatewaki Sensei Yoshikata and Akugenda Yoshihira

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T122

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state of the above design.

Title: Gempei seisuiki: Izu no kuni Yamaki kassen (源平盛衰記伊豆國山木合戦, History of the Ups and Downs of the Minamoto and Taira: The attack on the Yamaki Palace)

Description: Yoritomo’s attack on Yamaki Palace at night took Kanetaka and his retainers by surprise in 1180

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T123

NOTE: The series History of the Ups and Downs of the Minamoto and Taira (Gempei seisuiki, 源平盛衰記) consists of five triptychs. In Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) the series is listed as S19, but the individual triptychs are listed as T58, T59, T60, T109 and T123. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Title: Ôshû Takadachi kassen Yoshitsune (奥州高館合戦 義経主従 勇戦働之事)

Description: Yoshitsune leading a sortie from the castle of Takadachi over the moat bridge in 1189; Benkei knocking over foe (center)

Publisher: Some copies bear the seal of Ki-ya Sôjirô and others Kagi-ya Hanshirô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T124

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

Title: Untitled

Description: The Soga brothers with Tegoshi no Shôshô in the rain outside the tent of Kudô Suketsune

Publisher: Ueyasu (called Jô-Yasu in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson)

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T125

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Title: Kaga no kuni Ataka no shin-seki nite Yoshilsune shûjû (安宅関にて弁慶勧進帳を読上げる図)

Description: Benkei reading his scroll (kwanjinchô) to Togashi Saemon at the Ataka Barrier, he and his party dressed as monks

Publisher: Eshima

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T126

I am grateful to Marc DeVriese for this image.

Title: Yoshinoyama nite Yoshitsune shûjû etc.

Description: The parting of Shizuka-gozen (woman in center sheet) from Yoshitsune (in red armor on the right) and his followers among the snows of Mount Yoshino. Musashi-bo Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶) is in the foreground of left sheet.

Publisher: Kazusa-ya Iwazô

Date: c. 1842-1843

Robinson: T127

Another state of the above design

“Robinson” refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement.

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