Warrior triptychs

1858 - 1861

Title: Soga jû-ban-giri no zu (曾我十番切之圖)

Description: The Soga brothers’ last fight: Soga Gorô (center), Soga Jurô (top left) and a tent enclosure (right)

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Horse 2, March-April 1858

Robinson: T349

Title: Picture of the Battle between the Kusunoki and the Ashikaga (Kusunoki Ashikaga ô-kassen no zu)

Description: Battle on the shore between the Kusunoki and the Ashikaga (probably the Minatogawa in 1336): Masashige and his men charging, led by Onchi Sakon-tarô, Sagi-no-ike Heikurô, Wada Izumi no Kami and Hayase Saemon

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Horse 2, March-April 1858

Robinson: T350

NOTE: This triptych was probably designed by Kuniyoshi about 1850. I am grateful to Davor Solter for this image.

Title: Battle of Kawanakajima (Kawanakajima ô-kassen no zu, 川中島大合戦之圖)

Description: Battle scene with Uesugi Kenshin mounted in center of triptych

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: 3^rd month of 1858

Robinson: T350a (not in Robinson)

I am grateful to Dr. Alexander Wilson for this image.

Title: Ushiwakamaru Being Taught Swordsmanship on Mt. Kurama (Ushiwaka Kurama shugyô zu, 牛若鞍馬修行図)

Description: Ushiwaka Maru practicing fencing among the pine trees of Kuramayama with the tengu under the supervision of their king, Sôjô-bô. The tengu here are completely birdlike

Publisher: Maru-ya Kyûshirô

Date: Horse 4, May-June 1858

Robinson: T351

NOTE: A later edition dated Cock 8, September 1861 was published by Kagi-ya Shôbei.

Title: In the Kusunoki Camp, Sugimoto Akiyuki is Rewarded with an Inscribed Sword (Kusunoki no jinchû ni Sugimoto Akiyuki o hakatte meiken o eru no zu, 楠ノ陣中二杉本顕幸ヲ計テ銘剱ヲ得ノ図)

Description: In a seated assembly Sugimoto Akiyuki receives a famous sword from Kusunoki Masashige while all present weep

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: Horse 4, May-June 1858

Robinson: T352

I am grateful to Ole Albæk Pedersen for this image.

Title: The Grand Sumô Tournament on Mount Akazawa (Akazawa-yama ô-sumô, 赤沢山 大相撲)

Description: Matano Gorô Kagehisa (股野五郎景久) thrown by Kawazu Saburô Sukechika (河津三郎祐親) in their sumô wrestling match before Yoritomo umpired by Ebina Genpachi Hirotsuna (河津三郎祐安)

Publisher: Maru-ya Kyûshirô

Date: Horse 4, May-June 1858

Robinson: T353

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this shita-e (preparatory drawing).

Title: The Palace of the Dragon King (Ryûgûjô, 龍宮城)

Subtitle: Tawara Tôda Hidesato is Given Three Gifts (Tawara Tôda Hidesato ni sanshu no tosan wo okuru, 田原藤太秀郷に三種の土産を贈る)

Description: Tawara Tôda Hidesato, also known as Fujiwara no Hidesato and as Tawara Toda, is being escorted through the waves by the Dragon King’s sea creature-retainers. The former received the Three Gifts from Ryujin, the Dragon King, as a reward for killing the giant centipede.

Publisher: Maru-ya Kyûshirô

Date: Horse 4, May-June 1858

Robinson: T354

A later edition of the above design dated Cock 8, September 1861 and published by Kagi-ya Shôbei

Title: The Heike Meeting to Prepare for War

Description: An assembly in a daimyo’s palace

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: 2^nd or 3^rd month of 1859

Robinson: Not listed

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Battle in the Wars of the Taiheiki (Taiheiki ô-kassen no zu, 太平記大合戦之圖)

Description: A battle scene

Publisher: No seal

Date: 4^th month of 1860 (combined date and aratame seal)

Robinson: Not listed

I am grateful to Michel Ouellet for this preparatory drawing for a triptych.

Title: Akamatsu Castel Attacked by Flooding (Akamatsu no shiro mizuzeme no zu, 赤松之城水責之圖)

Description: The beleaguering of the castle of Akamatsu by water, with floating batteries, and a large lookout tower (left). This is really Takamatsu Castle besieged by Hideyoshi in 1582.

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

Date: Monkey 8, September-October 1860

Robinson: T355

Drawing for unpublished triptych showing a general (possibly Kato Kiyomasa) on a horse far left and surrounded by his soldiers. The censor’s seal is from the 9^th month of 1860.

Title: The Story of Jiraiya, a Strange Tale of Revenge: Vengence at Shichiri-ga-hama in Sagami Province (Katakiuchi kidan Jiraiya monogatari, Sôshû Shichiri-ga-hama fukushû no zu, 報仇奇談自來也話, 相州七里ヶ濱復讐之図)

Description: Jiraiya and his followers, seated on the shore, watch Amame Isobei catching two miscreants, while Onikubi Kôemon engages the youth Masajirô and the maiden Midori in combat

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Cock 1, February 1861

Robinson: T356

NOTE: Kuniyoshi designed this triptych about 1836.

Title: Untitled

Description: Watanabe no Tsuna (瀧口内舎人源次綱), Usui Sadamitsu (靭屓尉碓井貞光), and Sakata no Kintoki (主馬佐酒田金時), who are Raikô’s retainers, playing go, with attempted interruptions by the Earth-Spider’s demons

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Cock 1, February 1861

Robinson: T357

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this drawing.

Title: Miyamoto Musashi Subdues a Pack of Wolves in the Mountains of Hakone in Sagami Province (Miyamoto Musashi Sôshû Hakone no sanchû ni ôkami o ooku taiji shite shinmen o kijutsu o arawashite hajimete Sekiguchi ni mamiyu, 宮本武蔵相州箱根の山中に狼を多く退治する圖)

Description: Miyamoto Musashi fighting off a pack of wolves in the Hakone mountains, watched by Sekiguchi Yatarô, seated smoking by a fire (right sheet)

Publisher: Ki-ya Sôjirô

Date: Cock 6, July 1861

Robinson: T358

I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for locating this image.

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

Title: The Heroic Tales of Jiraiya (Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari (児雷也豪傑物語), Chapter 36

Description: Jiraiya is killing huge snake eyeing a giant toad behind him

Publisher:

Date:

Robinson: Not listed

NOTE: This diptych is from a 43 volume set of illustrated books (kusazôshi). It bears the signatures of both Kuniyoshi and Toyokuni III (Kunisada). The characters within circles, 下 and 上, are “shell and bone” ideograms for “down” and “up”, respectively. Each sheet is about 7 by 5 inches (18 by 13 centimeters), a size known as koban.

“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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