Warrior triptychs

1845, Part I

 

Kuniyoshi%20-%20(T145)%20Under%20the%20direction%20of%20Takeshiuchi-no-sukune%20Japanese%20troops%20lever%20an%20enormous%20rock%20over%20a%20precipice%20above%20a%20Korean%20city,%20005-1192%20to%20005-1194

Title: Nin-ô jûgo-dai Jingô Kôgô Sankan seibatsu Takenouchi etc. (The Conquest of Three Countries in Old Korea, 人皇十五代神功皇后三韓征伐武内大臣が智勇諸城を落す図)

Description: Under the direction of Takeshiuchi-no-sukune Japanese troops lever an enormous rock over a precipice above a Korean city

Publisher: Nomura-ya Tokubei

Date: 1845

Robinson: T145

Kuniyoshi - (T146) The Battle of Kurikaradani on June 2, 1183- Kagekiyo, Tomoye-gozen and Yoshinaka struggling with Tomonori; behind, the Taira troops falling over the cliff

Title: The Battle of Kurikaradani (倶利伽羅谷合戦)

Description: The Battle of Kurikaradani on June 2, 1183: Kagekiyo, Tomoe-gozen and Yoshinaka struggling with Tomonori; behind, the Taira troops falling over the cliff

Publisher: Kagi-ya Hanjirô

Date: 1845

Robinson: T146

Kuniyoshi - (T147) The Taira ghosts arising from the sea (left) to attack Yoshitsune's ship (centre), with some warriors in the water

Title: Daimotsu-no-ura Yoshitsune shûjû etc.

Description: The Taira ghosts rising from the sea to attack Yoshitsune’s ship

Publisher: Kiyomizu-ya

Date: 1845

Robinson: T147

Title: Chû-kô-gi-yû: oji no ada-uchi (忠孝義勇: 伯父仇討)

Description: Yasubei’s revenge on Murakami Shôemon and his men for the death of his uncle, watched by his mother and sister

Publisher: Ise-ya Ichibei

Date: 1845

Robinson: T148

 

NOTE: This print is illustrated as Fig. 30 on pages 30 and 31 in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982).  However, it is erroneously labeled as triptych 213.

Kuniyoshi - (T149) Ushiwaka Maru, travelling to Mutsu with Kichiji the gold-merchant,he has his sandals removed at the inn where he was later attacked by Chohan and his gang

Title: Ushiwaka Maru Ôshû no kin-akibito to tomo ni gekô no etc.

Description: Ushiwaka Maru, traveling to Mutsu with Kichiji the gold-merchant, has his sandals removed at the inn where he was later attacked by Chôhan and his gang

Publisher: Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô

Date: 1845

Robinson: T149

Kuniyoshi - (T150) Benkei Stealing the Bell of Mii Temple (Benkei ga yuriki tawamure ni Miidera no tsurigane o Hieizan e hikioguru zu)

Title: Benkei ga yûriki tawamure ni Miidera no tsurigane wo Hieizan e hikioguru zu

Description: Benkei dragging off the great bell of Miidera, watched by Yoshitsune in the background

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Date: 1845

Robinson: T150

Title: Yoshitsune and his Nineteen Chief Retainers (Yoshitsune no jûku-shin, 義経十九臣)

Description: The names of the retainers listed on top from right to left are:

Kumai Tarô Tadamoto

Kamada Tôji Mitsumasa

Sugime Kotarô Yukinobu

Hori Yatarô Tomotô

Suzuki Saburô Shigekiyo

Suruga Jirô Kiyoshige

Ise Saburô Yoshimori

Satô Saburô Tsuginobu

Hitachi-bô Kaison

Yoshitsune

Musashi-bô Benkei

Satô Shirô Tadanobu

Kamei Rokurô Narikiyo

Kataoka Hachirô Tsuneharu

Masuo Gon-no-kami Kanefusa

Eda Genzô Hirotsugu

Washio Saburô Yoshihisa

Kuroi Tarô Tsunekiyo

Akai Tôda Todaharu

Mimmaya Kisanda Sadakiyo

Publisher: Nuno-Kichi

Date: 1845

Robinson: T151

Kuniyoshi - (T151) Nineteen Vassal of Yoshitsune, 005-1189 to 005-1191 (Alt

Another state of the above triptych

Kuniyoshi - (T152) The great feast of the Taira before going to war, with Tomomori dancing (center), pub

Title: Heike no ichimon ikusa kado-ide no shuen Tomomori etc.

Description: The great feast of the Taira before going to war, with Tomomori dancing (center)

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Tatsuzô

Date: 1845

Robinson: T152

Kuniyoshi - (T153) The Gempei Battle at Ikuta no Mori

Title: Battle at Ikutamori between the Taira Clan and the Minamoto Clan (Ikuta-no-mori oite Gempei ô-kassen..., 山口屋藤兵衛 錦耕堂、のち春錦堂 文化~明治)

Description: Kajiwara Kagesue in the forest of Ikuta, having lost his helmet, defends himself against several Taira warriors under an old plum tree; in the background his father Kagetoki rides to his assistance

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei (ト山口)

Date: 1845

Robinson: T153

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state with a dark foreground.

Kuniyoshi - (T154) Takeda Daizendayû Harunobu Nyûdô Shingen, 201-2903 to 201-2905

Title: Kawanakajima ô-kassen: Kenshin no kuruma-gakari wo mite (川中嶋大合戦)

Description: Kansuke reporting Kenshin’s movements to Shingen, surrounded by his staff on the river-bank

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Date: 1845

Robinson: T154

Kuniyoshi - (T154) Takeda Daizendayû Harunobu Nyûdô Shingen, (Alt

Another state of the above design

Kuniyoshi - (T155)   possibly T155

Title: Taira no Kiyomori Yoshitomo wo horobosu sono shô Tokiwa wakagimi wo etc.

Description: Tokiwa-gozen and her children brought before Kiyomori

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

Date: 1845

Robinson: T155

 

NOTE: Kiyomori resembles actor Nakamura Utaemon IV who played this role in the kabuki play Gempei Soga at the Nakamura Theatre at the beginning of 1845.

Kuniyoshi - (T156)  possibly Nitta Yoshisada, pub

Title: Sesshûi Ichi-no-tani Gempei kassen no zu

Description: The fight on the seashore at Ichi-no-tani with the Taira fleet out in the bay on March 21, 1184

Publisher: Yahata-ya Sakujirô (called “Hachi” by Robinson)

Date: 1845

Robinson: T156

Kuniyoshi - (T157) The attempted arrest of Kazusa Shichibyoe Kagekiyo at Tokaiji Temple at Nara (reprint)

Title: Kenkyû gwan-nen Udaishô Yoritomo shôraku no go Nanto Tôdaiji (建久元年右大将頼朝上洛の後南都東大寺)

Description: The attempted arrest of Kagekiyo in the courtyard of Tôdaiji Temple at Nara

Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô

Date: 1845

Robinson: T157

T157

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

Kuniyoshi - (T157) The attempted arrest of Kazusa Shichibyoe Kagekiyo at Tokaiji Temple at Nara

This altered reprint of the above design, also published by Hayashi-ya Shôgorô, is dated the 7th month of 1858.

Kuniyoshi - (T158) Soga Juro dancing before Kudo Suketsune, triptych, c

Title: Kenkyû yo-nen go-gwatsu Minamoto no Yoritomo-kô Fuji no Susono nite etc.

Description: Soga Jurô dancing before Kudô Suketsune in 1193

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Date: 1845

Robinson: T158

Kuniyoshi - (T158) Soga Juro dancing before Kudo Suketsune (Alt

Another state of the above triptych

 

“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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