Warrior triptychs

1851-1852, Part II

Title: The Battle at the Temple in Rokuhara (Rokuhara han tôji gosen, 六波羅坂東寺会戦)

Description: The fight at the Eastern Temple, Rokuhara in Kyoto defended by the Hôjô against Mega Magosaburô Nagamune (left) and the Imperial troops in 1333

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô

Date: 1851-1852

Robinson: T270

Title: The Last Stand of the Kusunoki Heroes at Shijo-Nawate (Nanke yûshi Shijô-nawate nite uchijini, 楠家勇士四條畷にて討死)

Description: Masatsura (left), Masatomo (center) and Genshû (right) at the last stand of the Kusunoki at Shijô-nawate in 1348

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô

Date: 1851-1852

Robinson: T271

Detail of the above triptych

Title: The Direct Encounter of the Household Troops of Kenshin and Shingen at the Battle of Kawanakajima (Kawanakajima kassen Kenshin Shingen no hatamoto-e norikomi jikisen no zu, 川中島合戦謙信信玄の 旗本へ乗込直線の圖)

Description: Kenshin, center (here given his full names and titles: Uyesugi Danjô-no-daihitsu Terutora Nyûdô Kenshin) leading a furious charge (center) as the Takeda troops break before him

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô

Date: 1851-1852

Robinson: T271a

Title: The Loyal Retainers Achieve Their Goal (Gishi hommô wo togeru no zu, 義士本望を遂るの圖)

Description: Moronao and one of his retainers captured and surrounded by the Forty-Seven Rônin with the captives being addressed by Yuranosuke

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Date: 1851-1852

Robinson: T272

Title: The 47 Ronin in Council in Their Lord’s Palace (Gishi hyôjû no zu, 義士評定之圖)

Description: The Forty-Seven Rônin in council in their lord’s palace

Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei

Date: 1851-1852

Robinson: T273

Title: Untitled

Description: Takiguchi Shinsuke (滝口心助, left); Iinuma Katsugorô (飯沼勝五郎) and the ghost of Hatsuhana (初花) under the waterfall (center); and Hananosuke (華助) engaging assailants on a hillside (right) with a sunrise behind Takiguchi

Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô

Date: 1851-1852

Robinson: T274

Title: Ashikaga Takauji’s Judging Scene (Ashikaga Taka-uji hyôjô no zu, 足利尊氏評定圖)

Description: Ashikaga Taka-uji presiding at the preparation of a feast

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi

Date: Rat 3, April-May 1852

Robinson: T275

Title: Seichû gishi no kikigaki no uchi: uchi-iri hommô no zu (誠忠義士聞書之内 討入本望之圖)

Description: The Forty-Seven Rônin scaling the wall of Moronao’s palace with bamboo ladders by moonlight

Publisher: Mita-ya Kihachi

Date: Rat 3, April-May 1852

Robinson: T276

Title: The Three Kingdoms: Chohan Bridge (Sangokushi: Chôhan hashi no zu, 三国志長坂橋圖)

Description: Chôhi (center) defending Chôhan Bridge, mounted on a black charger and carrying his formidable spear with Sôsô fleeing on horseback (left)

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T277

Title: The Castle of Komei Beleaguered by the Shiba Army (Chûtatsu Kômei kakomi no zu, 仲達孔明囲圖)

Description: The castle of Kômei encircled by the Shiba army

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T278

Title: Prince Shôtoku Kills Mononobe no Moriya (Shôtoku Taishi Mononobe no Moriya chûbatsu no zu, 聖徳太子物部守屋誅伐圖)

Description: Prince Shôtoku, mounted and attended, quelled Mononobe no Moriya with a death-ray glance in 587 BCE

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T279

Title: Yorimitsu’s Return from Oeyama (Raikô Ôyeyama kijin no zu, 頼光大江山帰陣の圖)

Description: Minamoto no Yorimitsu, who is also known as Raikô, and his men are returning in triumph with the monstrous head of the Shuten-dôji. Shown are Minamoto no Yorimitsu (源頼光公), Usui Sadamitsu (碓井定光), Urabe no Suetake (卜部季武), Hirai Yasumasa (平井保昌), Sakata Kintoki (坂田金時), and Watanabe no Tsuna (渡辺綱).

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T280

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Title: The Wada Rebellion: Yoshihide Breaks Down the Great Gate (Wada kassen: Yoshihide sômon wo oshi-yaburu, 和田合戦 義秀惣門押破)

Description: Asahina Saburô Yoshihide breaking down the great gate during the revolt of the Wada against the Hôjô in 1213

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T281

Title: The Night Attack at Horikawa (Horikawa yo-uchi no zu, 堀河夜討之圖)

Description: Tosa-bô Shôshun brought captive by Benkei before Yoshitsune and Shizuka-gozen

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T282

Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo Hunting at the Foot of Mount Fuji (Minamoto no Yoritomo-kô Fuji-mine maki-gari no zu, 源頼朝公富士嶺牧狩之圖)

Description: Comical panoramic representation of Yoritomo’s hunting party under Mount Fuji

Left sheet: Yoritomo watching proceedings atop the hill

Center sheet: Tadatsune astride a boar, with a deer attempting to escape to the left

Right sheet: A tanuki with his giant scrotum and other animals fighting back against the hunters

Publisher: Tsuta-ya Kichizô

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T283

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and information.[BP1]

Title: The Great Battle at Kawanakajima (Kôyetsu Kawanakajima ô-kassen, 甲越川中島大合戦)

Description: Cavalry engagement amid rolling clouds of battle smoke at the battle of Kawanakajima

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T284

NOTE: This triptych was strongly influenced by European prints

Another state of the above triptych in which the sky is darkened by smoke.

Title: The Night Attack in The Treasury of the Loyal Retainers (Chûshingura yo-uchi no zu, 忠臣蔵夜討圖)

Description: The night attack of the Forty-Seven Rônin: the fighting in the garden spreads to Moronao’s palace, where he is being hidden by his retainers behind a picture

Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T285

This triptych may be placed side-by-side with triptych T249 to form a six-sheet composition

Title: Gempei bajutsu mari-ashi-sobi no zu (源平馬術鞠?之圖)

Description: A game of dakyû (similar to polo)

Publisher: Sawa-ya Kôkichi

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T286

Title: Three Brave Warriors of Our Country (Honchô sanyûshi, 本朝三勇士)

Description: Fuwa Banzayemon (不破伴左衛門) trying to frighten Nagoya Sanzaburô (名古屋山三郎) and Umanosuke (高木馬之助) with an inflated figure of a ghost in a ruined temple

Publisher: Kaga-ya Yasubei

Date: Rat 6, July-August 1852

Robinson: T287

Title: Night Attack of the Faithful Retainers (Gishi yo-uchi no zu, 義士夜討ノ圖)

Description: The interior of Moronao’s palace just after the rônin burst in: their rush is met by a group of Moronao’s retainers (left) while Yuranosuke directs operations seated on a camp-stool with a small drum (right)

Publisher: Sano-ya Kihei

Date: Rat 9, October-November 1852

Robinson: T287a

I am grateful to John Rose and Auction Ukiyo-e Ltd. for supplying this image.

Title: Minamoto no Yoritomo Scatters Pearls for the Warriors of the Great Dynasty (Minamoto Yoritomo no daito shoshi ni takara wo maki-atae iu, 源頼朝々大度諸士に賽ヲ蒔あたへゐふ圖)

Description: Palace interior with Yoritomo scattering pearls among scrambling retainers, watched in amusement by seated nobles

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei

Date: Rat 9, October-November 1852

Robinson: T288

Image courtesy of Davor Solter

Description: Tawara Tôda Fujiwara no Hidesato (田原藤太秀郷) subduing the centipede monster in drawing (hanshita-e) for unpublished triptych

Date: 1852

Robinson: Not listed

Description: Obata Toramori (小畠虎盛), Takeda Katsuchiyo Maru (武田勝千代丸) and Yamamoto Kansuke (山本勘助) killing a giant boar

Date: c. 1852

Robinson: Not listed

NOTE: A reversed version of this drawing was published in 1868 with Yoshitoshi’s signature (Ôju Yoshitoshi ga, 応需芳年画):

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for both images.

“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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