Warrior triptychs

1847-1850, Part II

Title: Kenkyû yo-nen go-gwatsu no koro Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Fuji etc.

Description: Tadatsune receiving the charge of the giant wild boar, in a panorama of Yoritomo’s hunting-party under Mount Fuji in June, 1193

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T200

NOTE: This triptych and the previous triptych may be placed side-by-side to form a six-sheet composition:

Title: The Battle at Odai (Shinshû Odai kassen no zu, 信州小田井合戦図)

Description: The last fight of Odai Matarokurô Yorisada, who has spitted three foemen on his spear and his henchman Iwatsu Tetsuemon Shigenobu outside their burning castle in the mid sixteenth century

Publisher: Kiyomizu-ya Naojirô (seal 通三清水)

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T201

Title: Inaba sanchû ni oite arajishi o ikedoritaru gôyû o taishô no me ni tomari shinka to su (童子吉晴 稲葉山中において荒猪を生捕たる 紙本版画弘化, Horio Yoshiharu battling a giant boar in Mt. Inaba)

Description: Dôji Yoshiharu (Horio Yoshiharu) fighting a giant boar with his bare hands watched by warriors among the trees

Publisher: Tajima-ya Saburô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T202

Title: Satô Masakiyo suikyô no rônin ryô-ko no yû wo torihishigu zu

Description: Satô Masakiyo (Katô Kiyomasa) fighting two drunken rônin by a river watched by soldiers armed with staves

Publisher: Tajima-ya Saburô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T203

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for these preparitory drawings for the above triptych.

Title: Oda Harunaga-kô jo no hei hyakkannen kuzure (The Rebuilding of Lord Ota Harunaga's Castle Wall by Sarukichiro [Legendary Repair of Kiyosu Castle in Owari Province], 大田春長の城塀修復図 [清洲城割普請の図]）　

Description: The legendary rebuilding of Kiyosu Castle in three days under the direction of Naka-ura Sarukichirô (Toyotomi Hideyoshi), who is shown reporting to Harunaga (Nobunaga)

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T204

Title: Shizu-ga-mine kassen no zu (Picture of the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine, 賤ヶ峯合戦之図)

Description: The defeat of Shibata Katsuie by Hideyoshi at Shizu-ga-mine in 1583: the attack of Katô Kiyomasa (加藤清正) and his men carrying bamboo sticks in place of banners, to which severed heads are attached

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T205

Another state of the above design with a solid red title cartouche courtesy of Marc DeVriese

Title: Shizu-ga-mine kassen no zu (Picture of the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine)

Description: At the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine in 1583: On the left, a swordsman defending himself and a young warrior with a sashimono (banner attached to the back of armor) bearing a figure of the god Fudô Myô-ô charging; on the right, foemen in confusion and a duel between two mounted warriors

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T205a

NOTE: This triptych might form a double triptych with the preceding

Another state of the above design without any green

Title: Sono seki kokon musô no yûshi Sama-no-suke Mitsuharu wa... (馬之助満晴琵琶湖渡)

Description: Akechi Mitsuharu (明智左馬之助) with his horse resting under the pine-tree of Karasaki on the shore of Lake Biwa after his defeat at the Battle of Uchide-hamna in 1582

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T206

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for these hanshita-e (final drawings) for two sheets from the preceding triptych.

Title: Picture of Famous Brave Warriors (Yûshi kômyô no zu, 勇士高名之図)

Description: The title gives no clue, and the figures are not named, but this triptych is believed to portray the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583

Publisher: Yamashiro-ya Jimbei

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T207

Title: Miyamoto Musashi wa Higo no dan ni shite etc. (宮本武蔵の鯨退治)

Description: Miyamoto Musashi (top center) plunging his sword into an enormous whale off the coast of Higo

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Shôzô

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T208

This is a reproduction printed in the Shôwa era (1926-1989) from recarved woodblocks.

Text: Early in the morning of the 15^th day of the 12^th month of 1702 the 47 loyal retainers, having achieved their goal, all crossed Ryogoku Bridge with the head of their enemy and proceeded to the Memorial Temple (Gishi shijûshichi-nin hommô wo toge…, 義士四拾七人本望を遂　人数を揃えて良黒橋を引取敵の首汲を守護して菩提所へ赴く維時に玄禄十五年十二月十五日の早天なりしといふ)

Description: The Forty-Seven Rônin crossing Ryôgoku Bridge after carrying out their revenge with Yuranosuke bowing to a mounted official on the near side (center)

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T209

Another state of the above design

Title: Gishi hommô wo tatsushite Sengokuji e hikitori katame no zu

Description: The Forty-Seven Rônin assembling outside the temple after carrying out their revenge

Publisher: Yorozu-ya Kichibei

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T210

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Gitora hommô wo toge bozen e tamuke no zu

Description: The Forty-Seven Rônin washing Moronao’s severed head in a well

Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shôshichi

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T211

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: None

Description: Yamanaka Dankurô (山中団九郎) shot with a pistol by the girl Kamegiku (かめぎく), while Shirai Gompachi (白井権八) fights a gang of ruffians

Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi (called Tada-ya Takichi by Robinson)

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T212

Title: Yasubei no kataki-uchi (Yasubei’s Revenge, 易兵衛敵討)

Description: Yasubei engaging a number of opponents in a natural arena, watched by his mother and sister

Publisher: ヲ inside star, read as “Wo” or “O” (This triptych also exists with the seal of the publisher Izumi-ya Ichibei)

Date: 1847-1850

Robinson: T213

NOTE: Fig. 30 on pages 30 and 31 of Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) erroneously identified triptych T148 as this 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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