Warrior triptychs

1854 - 1855

Publisher: Izutsu-ya Shôkichi

Date: Ox 12, January 1853

Robinson: T308

NOTE: This triptych was listed as “Tokiwa-gozen and Her Children in the Snowˮ by Robinson in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) based on his having seen only the left sheet. However, the privately published supplement states “This turns out to be a theatrical triptych, the production so far unidentified”. The roles are Tokiwa-gozen (常盤御前, left), Yaheibee Munekiyo (弥平兵衛宗清, center), and Munekiyo’s wife (tsuma) Kashiwagi (宗清つま柏木, right).

Title:

Description: Ôta Saemon-dayû Mochisuke (also known as Ôta Dôkwan, centre) holding a bow and lifting his hat, being offered a spray of flowers by a kneeling woman, watched by a woman with a child (left)

Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke

Date: 4^th month of 1854

Robinson: T308a (not listed in Robinson)

Title: Tsûzoku Sangokushi no uchi: Kôchû Gi-en wo chôsha ni tatematsuru (通俗三国志之内 黄忠魏延献長沙)

Description: The old warrior Kôchû, falling of a rearing horse, having been overthrown by Kwanu

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Tiger 8, October 1854

Robinson: T309

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Tsûzoku Sangokushi no uchi: Kômei mutabi Môkwaku wo toriko ni su (A Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Kongming’s Sixth Capture of Meng Huo, 通俗三國志之内, 孔明六擒孟獲)

Description: Shukuyû Fujin, wife of Môkwaku, overthrowing Chôki and Machûi

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Tiger 8, October 1854

Robinson: T310

Title: Tsûzoku Sangokushi no uchi: Kwanu Gi no shichi-gun wo hitasu (通俗三國志之内, 関羽魏七軍)

Description: Kwanu destroying the Seven Armies of Gi (Wei) in a great river battle

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Tiger 8, October 1854

Robinson: T311

Title: Yoritomo’s night-attack on the palace of Yamaki (Yoritomo hata-age: Yamaki no yakata yo-uchi no zu, 頼朝旗起: 八牧館夜討圖)

Description: Yoritomo’s night-attack on the palace of Yamaki: Kanetaka at bay (left), attacked by Endô Hyôtarô and Katôji Kagekado in 1180

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: Tiger 8, October 1854

Robinson: T312

NOTE: This triptych seems to portray another historical incident, less acceptable to the Shogunate than Yoritomo’s night-attack on the palace of Yamaki. The family crests and the kimono identify the true subject as Akechi Mitsuhide’s attack on Honnô-ji. The left panel shows Oda Nobunaga with his family crests over his head; the middle panel shows Yasuda Saibei Kunitsugu (also #30 in the Taiheiki eiyû den); and the right panel is Mori Ranmaru Nagasada (wearing the same kimono in #17 in the Taiheiki eiyû den). It is an interesting attempt to deceive the censors. I am grateful to Gordon Robson for this insight.

Title: Eiroku yo-nen ku-gwatsu Kawanakajima ô-kassen, (永禄四年九月川中島大合戦, 4th Year, 9th Month of the Eiroku Era, Battle of Kawanakajima)

Description: Yamamoto Kansuke rallying his exhausted troops on a hill for their last stand at the Battle of Kawanakajima in October 1561

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: Tiger 8, October 1854

Robinson: T313

Another state of the above design with different colors

Title: Kawanakajima ô-kassen: Kenshin Saijôzan ni oite sarugaku (川中島大合戦之図)

Description: Uesugi Kenshin originating the monkey dance at Saijôzan during the Kawanakajima Campaign

Publisher: Ki-ya Sôjirô

Date: Tiger 11, January 1855

Robinson: T314

Title: Awazu kassen (粟津合戰, The battle of Awazu)

Description: The battle of Awazu in 1184: Tomoe-gozen (left) wielding a tree trunk, while Yoshinaka (center) is shot riding through the bog with Wada Yoshimori (right)

Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke

Date: Tiger 12, January-February 1855

Robinson: T315

I am grateful to Richard Wilk for this alternate state without the red streak along the ground in the foreground.

I am grateful to Richard Wilk for this additional state published by Yorozu-ya Zentarô.

Title: Kawanakajima ô-kassen (The Battle of Kawanakajima, 川中嶋大合戦)

Description: Onikojima Yatarô overthrowing Nakanishi Dairokurô at the Battle of Kawanakajima

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Hare 1, February-March 1855

Robinson: T316

I am grateful to William Robinson for this image.

I am grateful to Ole Albæk Pedersen for this image of another state.

Title: General Watônai Conquering the Tigers in Formosa (Watônai gunko tôshu no zu, 和藤内群虎討取圖)

Description: Katô Kiyomasa (Watônai) and his men chasing tigers which are carrying off some Japanese soldiers across a river

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Hare 1, February-March 1855

Robinson: T317

Another state of the above design

Title: The Lonely House at Asajigahara (Asajigahara hitotsuya no zu, 浅芽原一ッ家之図

Description: The Lonely House story: the Hag (center) with a suppliant female victim and the appearance of the goddess Kwannon (right) behind a screen

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Hare 2, March-April 1855

Robinson: T318

Title: Yoshitsune (no) jûku-shin (義経十九臣)

Description: Yoshitsune and his nineteen retainers in a ship with Benkei at the prow

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: Hare 6, July-August 1855

Robinson: T319

NOTE: This triptych is very similar to T32 and to T82c.

Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo Ishibashiyama hata-age kassen (Aftermath of the battle of Ishibashiyama, 源頼朝石橋 山旗上会議)

Description: The aftermath of the Battle of Ishibashiyama in 1180: Yoritomo and his men hiding in a hollow tree (right) while Kagetoki (center) diverts their pursuers

Publisher: Daikoku-ya Kinjirô

Date: Hare 8, September-October 1855

Robinson: T320

Title: Satô Tadanobu yûsen Yoshitoki ga sei wo utsuru zu (Sato Tadanobu Bravely Resisting Arrest, 左藤忠信勇戦芳時が勢を移る圖)

Description: Tadanobu furiously resisting arrest, wielding a go board with one hand and grasping the hair of his treacherous mistress with the other, the go pieces flying in all directions

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Hare 9, October-November l855

Robinson: T321

NOTE: This triptych was published in 1855 from a design dating from about 1835.

Title: Sagi-no-ike Heikurô Taka-uji no taigun etc.

Description: Sagi-no-ike Heikurô creating havoc among the Ashikaga troops

Publisher: Mori-ya Jihei

Date: Hare 9, October-November 1855

Robinson: T322

Title: Kusunoki Ashikaga ô-kassen

Description: Ashikaga Taka-uji (left) struck by a severed head flung by Sagi-no-ike Heikurô (right)

Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke

Date: Hare 9, October-November 1855

Robinson: T323

Image courtesy of Davor Solter

Title: Shinshû Kawanakajima Takeda no shôhei Saijôzan wo hikigaeshi (信州川中嶋武田の正兵西条山を引がえし)

Description: Amakasu Ômi-no-kami Kagetoki (the historical Kajiwara no Kagetoki) directing the attack of the Uesugi troops at the battle of Kawanakajima

Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô

Date: Hare 9, October-November 1855

Robinson: T324

Title: Kawanakajima kassen (川中嶋 合戦, The Battle of Kawanakajima)

Description: Close-up view of the face-to-face encounter of Takeda Shingen (center) and Uesugi Kenshin (left) at Kawanakajima with Hachikawano Zensuke (right) thrusting a spear at Uesugi Kenshin

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Date: Hare 9, October-November 1855

Robinson: T325

Drawing for unpublished triptych showing the strong woman Kaneko Kugutsune (also called O Kane or Omi no O Kane) holding down the sacred white temple horse with her geta, c. 1855

“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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