Warrior triptychs
1847-1850, Part II
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Title: Lord Minamoto Yoritomo’s
Hunting Party at Mount Fuji (Minamoto
no Yoritomo-ko Fuji maki-gari no zu,
源頼朝卿富士牧狩之圖) Description: Minamoto no
Yoritomo’s (源頼朝) hunting-party
under Mount Fuji in June, 1193 forms a six-sheet panoramic composition when
placed side-by-side with the following triptych Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô Date: 1847-1850 Robinson: T199 |
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Text: Lord Yorimoto at the Foot of Mount Fuji in May of the 4th year
of Kenkyu era (Kenkyû yo-nen go-gwatsu no koro
Udaishô Yoritomo-kô Fuji,
建久四年五月の牧右大将頼朝卿富士) 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 preceding triptych may be placed side-by-side to form a six-sheet
composition:
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Title: The Battle at
Odai (Shinshû Odai kassen no zu, 信州小田井合戦圖) 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 |
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Title: The By
Yoshiharu Captures a Wild Boar Alive in the mountains of Inaba (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) 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 |
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Title: Untitled 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 |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for these
preparitory drawings for the above triptych. |
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Title: The
Rebuilding of Lord Ota Harunaga’s Castle Wall by Sarukichiro (Oda Harunaga-kô jo no hei hyakkannen kuzure, 大田春長の城塀修復圖) 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 |
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Title: Picture of
the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine (Shizu-ga-mine
kassen no zu, 賤ヶ峯合戦之圖) 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 |
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Another state of the above design with a solid red title
cartouche courtesy of Marc DeVriese |
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Title: Picture of
the Battle of Shizu-ga-mine (Shizu-ga-mine
kassen no zu, 賎ヶ峯戦之圖) 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 |
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Another state of the above design without any
green |
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Title: Mitsuharu Crossing Lake Biwa (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 |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for these hanshita-e
(final drawings) for two sheets from the preceding triptych. |
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Title: Picture of
Famous Brave Warriors (Yûshi kômyô no zu, 勇士高名之圖) 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 |
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Title: Miyamoto Musashi Killing
a Whale (Miyamoto Musashi wa Higo no
dan ni shite, 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 |
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This is a reproduction printed in the Shôwa era
(1926-1989) from recarved woodblocks. |
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Text: Early in the
morning of the 15th day of the 12th 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 shijûshichinin honmô o toge jinsû o soroete Ryôgokubashi o hikitori kataki no kubi o shugo shite bodaisho e omomuku kono toki ni Genroku
jûgonen jûnigatsu jûgonichi no sôten nari to iu, 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 |
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Another state of the above design |
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Title: Having Achieved
Their Goal, the Faithful Samurai Withdraw to Sengoku-ji Temple and Assemble
There (Gishi hommô
wo tatsushite Sengokuji e
hikitori katame no zu, 義士本望を達して仙国寺へ引取固の圖) 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. |
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Title: The Faithful Rônin
Pay Their Respects at the Grave (Gitora hommô wo toge bozen e tamuke no zu, 義徒等本望を遂墓前へ手向けの圖) 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. |
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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 |
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Title: Yasubei’s Revenge (Yasubei no kataki-uchi, 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. |
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“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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