"Musha-e (warrior prints) by
Kunisada“
- hero prints from series -
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last updated: |
new pictures: 04/14/11 |
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new information: 05/28/05 |
Many thanks to Richard Illing who helped with new images and all of the descriptions added to the prints.
If you have matching informations and files or better files
please let me know and
send them to:
horstgraebner@kunisada.de
| Pictures of Grappling: | ||
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga Soga Goro ? size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1820 pub: Kawaguchiya Uhei ref: N3, N95 |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1820 pub: Kawaguchiya Uhei ref: N3 |
| The brothers Soga Goro Tokimune and Goromaru Shigemune practising Juban guri, "The tenth of swordsmanship". | Okabe Rokuyata Tadazumi in combat with Satsuma no Kami Tadanori at the battle of Ichinotani. | |
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga |
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| Watanabe Genjitsuna in combat with Shogun Taro Yoshikado | ||
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Battle Tales of the Han and Chu: For this series Sebastian Izzard wrote 1993, Kunisada´s World, p. 107, that the first edition has been done by Nishimuraya Yohachi and the second by Joshuya Juzo. Geoffrey Dunn dicussed this question (who´s first publisher) again with S. Izzard and now Mr. Izzard comes to the conclusion, Joshuya Juzo´s was the first edition (see the both prints of Ichijosei Kosanjo). |
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signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1827 pub: Nishimuraya Yohachi ref: L40, p.106f, Richard Illing |
signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga Ichijosei Kosanjo size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1827 pub: Nishimuraya Yohachi ref: N3 |
same as before, somewhat different design publisher: Joshuya Juzo ref: Geoffrey Dunn |
| KOSO. Liu Bang (Liu Pang in Edmunds [Japanese Ryuho]) was a peasant born warrior, who during a period of prolonged civil war, rose to be a commanding general and, by successful conquest, the first Han emperor known as Gaozu (Koso). Shown in combat with a splendid dragon. |
GUSHI. One of the "Four beautiful women of China" and the wife
of Kou. When Kou was beset by enemies he refused to leave his dire situation because of her. Gushi (Yu Ki) cut her own throat to relieve him of responsibility for her. He made away with her severed head on the pommel of his horse. |
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signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1827 pub: Nishimuraya Yohachi ref: N3 |
signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga Zhuang Shi Xinchi fighting a tiger size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1827 pub: Nishimuraya Yohachi ref: N4, L52, p.? there is another version of this print, published in L40, p.107, where the publisher is Joshuya Juzo |
signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga Fan Kuai breaking down a door in the Emperor´s palace size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1827 pub: Nishimuraya Yohachi ref: N4, N103, L40, p.106f |
| KOSEKIKO/CHORYO. His story is given in Edmunds (under Chang Liang) and Joly under Chorio. The story links Choryo with Liu Pang, who went on to become Gaozu. Taoist legend relates how he rescued a slipper from the Wei river for an apparently insignificant poor old man. The old man turned out to be Hwang She Kung (Kosekiko), the "Yellow-stone Elder", who later presented him with a manuscript giving the secret precepts of wisdom and tactics and which later passed to Japan where it was studied by Yoshitsune and later Kusunoki no Masashige. |
SOSHI SHINKI. (Illustrated in van Doesberg Pl.24 and Izzard Pl.43/3). Zhuang Shi Xinchi (Chwang Tsze in Edmunds), the governor of Pien during the Chu dynasty, shown about to dispatch a tiger with a halberd. |
HAN KWAI (Illustrated in Izzard Pl. 43/2). Listed in Edmunds as Fan
Kw´ai, he is shown breaking down the door to save Koso and Choryo, who were
dining with treacherous conspirators. |
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signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1827 pub: Nishimuraya Yohachi ref: N3 |
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KOU. The Chinese general Hsiang Yu (Hiang Tsi in Edmunds)
in the third century BC. He is shown struggling with his horse as it shies from the reflection of the dead Gushi. Another impression is illustrated in Tokyo National Museum Cat No. 2827) |
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signature: ōju Kunisada ga Kurokaja Iyonokami Minamoto Yoshitsune size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Daikokuya (??) ref: N103 |
signature: ōju Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Daikokuya (??) ref: Richard Illing |
signature: ōju Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Daikokuya (??) ref: Richard Illing, N103 |
| YOSHITSUNE standing in full armour holding a huge bow in his left hand, the flights of a sheaf of arrows appearing behind his shoulder. |
YOKOGAWA KAKUHAN. The giant warrior-monk who led an attack
on the fleeing Yoshitsune in the hopes of a reward from Yoritomo. He was slain by Sato no Tadanobu who had donned Yoshitsune?s armour as a ruse and had stayed as a rearguard while his master made his escape. |
TAWARA TODA HIDESATO. Fujiwara Hidesato is shown bestriding the Mukade, a giant centipede that had been terrorising the waters of Lake Biwa. At the request of Riujin, the dragon-king, he slew the monster with an arrow moistened with his saliva, for which he was richly rewarded. |
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Daikokuya (??) ref: N134-1906,1220,0.1054 |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Daikokuya (??) ref: Richard Illing |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Daikokuya (??) ref: Theo de Kreijger |
| MUSASHIBO BENKEI (a copy present in the British Museum). Benkei, shown as a very hairy giant of a man in Yamabushi garb, carrying off the great bell of the Mii temple, which is slung on his iron club. | WATONAI SANKAN. Otherwise known as Kokusenya or as the pirate Coxinga, he was well known from the Kabuki play Kokusenya Kassen, where there is a scene in which he subdues a tiger with a charm. | the warrior empress JINGO KOGO, ), who reputedly conquered Korea while pregnant. |
| The Loyal Retainers Who Achieved Revenge: | ||
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signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga Horibe Yahei and his adopted son, Horibe Yasubei size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Iseya Rihei ref: N78 |
signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga Wakashima Yasuemon, Yazama Kinai size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Iseya Rihei ref: N10 |
signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga Oboshi Rikiya size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Iseya Rihei ref: N10 |
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signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga Sato Yomoshichi, Onodera Chinai size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Iseya Rihei ref: N10 |
signature: ōju Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Iseya Rihei ref: N121-11.40127a-b |
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| A mirror of our country's renown heroes - Honcho komei kagami: | ||
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signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Joshuya Kinzo ref: N103 |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga Taira no Tadamori size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Joshuya Kinzo ref: N79, N3 |
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ASAHIMA/SOGA NO GORO Asahina grabs the lappet of the armour of Soga no Goro, who was however, not restrained. |
TAIRA NO TADAMORI. Shows the episode where he grapples at night with a demon illuminated with flickering light only to find that he has caught an innocent old temple servant replenishing the oil lamps. | |
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signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga Mongaku Shonin size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Joshuya Kinzo ref: N103, N3 |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Joshuya Kinzo ref: N1 |
signature: Kōchō Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Joshuya Kinzo ref: ritsu 201-2718 |
| MONGAKU SHONIN. Endo Morito, after mistakenly cutting off the head of Kesa-gozen, with whom he had become besotted, doing penance under the icy waters of the Nachi waterfall. | USIWAKAMARU (the young YOSHITSUNE) being trained in the martial arts by the king of the Tengu. | |
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signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga Murakami Hikoshiro Yoshiteru size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Joshuya Kinzo ref: N103, N10 |
signature: Kōchō Kunisada ga Rokuson Okeigi (Taira no Tsunemoto) size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Joshuya Kinzo ref: N3 |
same as before with different colouring thanks to Geoffrey Dunn for the image |
| MURAKAMI HIKOSHIRO YOSHITERU standing in the middle of a confused tussle, treading on the neck of one of his assailants on the ground. A second being hurled over his right shoulder. |
ROKUSONNO. Minamoto no Tsunemoto shown with a sword in combat with a large dragon. |
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Popular actors as the 108 heroes of the Suikoden, one by
one - Suikoden goketsu Hyakuhachi Jin'ichi ko - |
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: ritsu 002-0774 |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: ritsu 100-2315 |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: ritsu 100-2314 |
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scene from the battle of Dan-no-Ura Ichikawa Danjuro VII as Yoshitsune |
night attack of the Soga brothers Onoe Kikugoro III as Soga no Juro |
night attack of the Soga brothers Seki Sanjuro II as Nitta no Tadatsuna, who eventually slew Juro |
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga Ichikawa Danjuro VII as ?? size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: ritsu 002-0957 |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: ritsu 002-0954 |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: ritsu 002-0958 |
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scene from the battle of Dan-no-Ura |
scene from the battle of Dan-no-Ura Ichikawa Danshi as the child emperor Antoku and Iwai Kumesaburo II as ??? |
scene from the battle of Dan-no-Ura Bando Minosuke II as Taira no Tomomori |
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga Nakamura Shikan II als Gosho no Goromaru size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: N10 |
signature: ōju Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: Richard Illing |
signature: ?? Kunisada ga Matsumoto Koshiro V as Kagekiyo size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: Kawaguchiya Shozo ref: N134-1908,0718,0.32 |
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night attack of the Soga brothers Gosho no Goromaru was Suketsune's bodyguard who captured Soga no Goro, who was later beheaded by Yoritomo's command |
scene from the battle of Dan-no-Ura Arashi Kanjuro I as Benkei |
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| Banners for Parlor Decorations: | Five Brightly Colored Banners: | |
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signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga with seal "Hanabusa Itcho" the empress Jingu and her minister Takeuchi size: nagaban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Otaya Sakichi (?) ref: L40, p.164 |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga with seal "Hanabusa Itcho" General Zhang Fei, one of the five tiger generals size: nagaban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Otaya Sakichi (?) ref: L40, p.165 |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga with seal "Hanabusa Itcho" General Huang Zhong, one of the five tiger generals size: nagaban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: Otaya Sakichi (?) ref: thanks to William Pearl for the image |
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signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga with seal "Hanabusa Itcho" size: nagaban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: ? ref: N133 |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga with seal "Hanabusa Itcho" size: nagaban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: ? ref: N133 |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga with seal "Hanabusa Itcho" size: nagaban censor: kiwame date: c. 1835 pub: ? ref: N43 |
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untitled series (pub.
Moritaya Hanjiro): Richard Illing writes: "A series with titles and description in a rectangular cartouche with a decorated border was published by Moritaya. Of the six that I have encountered just one bears the single censor seal Hama in addition to the Kiwame seal found on the others. I deduce that these were issued at about the time of the Tempo reforms in mid-1842. |
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signature: Kōchō Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: N103, N3 |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga Warrior, Tomoe Gozen, the wife of Kiso Yoshinaka, striking an enemy Musashi Saburo-Zaemon Arikuni size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: N103, N3 |
signature: Kōchō Kunisada ga Sotoki Sosei figthing the giant snake (thanks to Maxime Lesage for the information) size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: N103 |
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OMORI HIKOSHICHI carrying on his back the demon disguised as a beautiful
woman prior to setting out to cross the river. |
TOMOE GOZEN. After her husband Kiso no Yoshinaka was slain
at the battle of Uji river, Tomoe, who is fighting with his forces, battles in turn with Uchida Ieyoshi, Hatakeyama no Shigetada and Morishige of Musashi, all of who she defeats only, to be captured by Wada no Yoshimori. None of these seem mentioned in the cartouche. |
A warrior in full armour (whom I have been unable to identify) plunging
his sword into the neck of a gigantic snake (uwabumi). |
| known print, but no image |
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: Richard Illing |
signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: Richard Illing |
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| WATONAI. A copy bound in an album (No.53) in the British Museum again showing the episode of the subdued tiger. |
HANGAKU. The daughter of Jo no Sukimori is shown in full
armour helping repel the forces of Sasaki no Moritsuna, who eventually
capture her. |
OMORI HIKOSHICHI. Another version showing the reflected face of the hannya in the water. |
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signature: Gototei Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: Theo de Kreijger |
signature: ōju Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: Theo de Kreijger |
signature: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1830 pub: unread ref: N43 |
| another version of TOMOE GOZEN | WATONAI SANKAN subduing the tiger with a riffle. | ? |
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signature: Kōchō Kunisada ga size: ōban censor: kiwame date: c. 1842 pub: Moritaya Hanjiro ref: thanks to Alwin van Esveld |
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Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) - series and prints