YOSHITOSHI Tsukioka. (1839-1892)

The Story of Tamiya Botaro. 1886.

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

New Selection of Eastern Brocade Pictures.

Publisher

Tsunashima

Engraver

Wada Hori Yu

oban diptych, 48.0 cm × 36.0 cm

Very good impression, colour and condition. Slightly trimmed and two minor thin spots.

A famous scene from the kabuki play "Osanago no Adauchi" " A Child's Revenge", in which Botaro watches his nurse, Otsuji, draw water from a well. Botaro's father was murdered by his fencing master because his skill in the discipline threatened the latter's pre-eminence. The boy vows to avenge the death and and pretends to be mute from birth, with the intent of deceiving his foe. Otsuji, however, falls for the ruse. She performs ritual ablutions to the god Konpira, in hope that the boy will regain his speech. Yoshitoshi conveys Ojitsu's perseverance and devotion, as she hauls the bucket of water under the tacit gaze of Botaro.

Signed Yoshitoshi with the artist's seal Taiso and the carver's seal Wada Hori Yu.

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TAKEDA Hideo (1944-

Hongan leaves Kyoto. 1985.

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

The Genpei Series.

Publisher

Self-published. Edition 36/185.

Large silkscreen., 63.0 cm × 48.0 cm

Excellent condition.

A violent battle takes place between the Minamoro and Tairo clans, over the bone of a giant pelvis, the samurai determined to hold their ground with naginata, sword and dagger.

Hideo Takeda exhibited at the British Museum in 1993 with a show dedicated to manga, entitled 'The Japanese Cartoon Tradition'. Signed in pencil, with envelope seal.

£1280

Hideo Takeda (1944-

Minamoto Clan at the Dan-no-Ura Battle

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

Genpei

Publisher

Self published

large silkscreen, 52.8 cm × 66.4 cm

Excellent impression, colour and condition. Edition 77/200

From Hideo Takeda's series depicting the Genpei Wars (1180-1185) which is without doubt one of the great modern series of Japanese Prints. He exhibited at the British Museum in The Japanese Cartoon Tradition, 1993.The Genji (Minamoto) clan, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Taira (Heike) clan at the battle of Dan-no-Ura in 1185. The battle was the last one between the Genji and the Heike. Signed Hideo Takeda Edition 77/200

Reference. Takeda Hideo and the Japanese Cartoon Tradition at The British Museum

£1780

Hideo Takeda (1944-

Genpei No. 1 - Strong Bow of Minamoto Tametomo

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

Genpei

Publisher

Self published

large silkscreen, 53.0 cm × 70.0 cm

Excellent impression, colour and condition. Edition 48/200

From Hideo Takeda's series depicting the Genpei Wars (1180-1185) which is without doubt one of the great modern series of Japanese Prints. He exhibited at the British Museum in The Japanese Cartoon Tradition, 1993 and his works are in the permanent collection. Signed Takeda. Edition 48/200.

£1780

YOSHITOSHI Tsukioka. (1839-1892)

The Death Stone of Nasu Moor. 1891.

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

New Forms of Thirty-six Strange Things.

Publisher

Sasaki Toyokichi.

Engraver

Chokuzan.

oban tate-e, 24.3 cm × 36.2 cm

Very good impression of the first edition. Good colour. Slight trimming, otherwise very good condition.

The emperor became ill after his favourite concubine, Tanamo no mae, bewitched him with black magic. When asked to approach the altar to pray for his recovery, she reveals her true nature as the nine tailed fox and scampers off to Nasu Moor. The emperor sends the master archer Kuranosuke in hot pursuit. She was shot and turned into the death stone known as sessho seki. Anyone who touched it or even looked at it would die.

The ghost of Tanamo no mae appears here on the desolate moor before the death stone. Her outermost garment is decorated with spider's webs and cherry blossom, a symbol of female entrapment and the rust orange undergarment belies her nature as the fox spirit. The two geese show that death is present and appear to be struggling in flight. Legend had it that birds would die when flying over the rock.

Ref Plate 23. Page 128 Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales. John Stevenson, Hotei Publishing.

£680

YOSHITOSHI Tsukioka. (1839-1892)

Sumiyoshi full moon. Lord Teika.

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

One Hundred Aspects of the Moon.

Publisher

Akiyama Buemon.

Engraver

Enkatsu.

oban tate-e, 24.2 cm × 35.6 cm

Very good impression, embellished with black lacquer. Very good colour and condition.

Lord Teika, a celebrated poet from the 13th century, has fallen asleep on the verandah of a Shinto shrine at Sumiyoshi. The god of poetry would appear in a dream to those who spent a night there. The deity emerges from a black cloud: a superb technique on the part of the printer called atenashi bokashi, borderless printing. The shades of grey in the old man's robes have been printed to give the effect of shadows and the forehead bulges like a peach indicating his wisdom as an immortal.

Signed Yoshitoshi, seal Taiso. Engraver seal; Yamamoto.

Reference: Plate 53,Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects of the Moon. John Stevenson. ISBN 978-0963221803

£480

YOSHITOSHI Tsukioka. (1839-1892)

Ii no Hayata Kills the Nue at the Imperial Palace. 1890.

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

New Forms of Thirty-six Strange Things.

Publisher

Sasaki Toyokichi.

Engraver

Chokuzan.

ōban tate-e, 24.1 cm × 36.0 cm

Very good impression with three colour cartouche, embellished with black lacquer and mica. Very good colour. Some trimming, otherwise very good condition.

Ii no Hayata grapples with the nue, a chimera-like monster which had a monkey's head, badger's body, tiger's legs and a snake for a tail. 

The emperor had trouble sleeping because of strange bird-like screams and abrasive scratching above the imperial palace. Petrified, he demanded that Lord Minamoto no Yorimasa discover the cause. In the thick of night, the commander saw a black cloud form over the palace, and shot an arrow into the darkness. A creature fell from the sky, writhing on the ground with an arrow piercing its neck. It was left to Yorimasa's henchman, Ii no Hayata, to finish the beast off with a dagger. Signed Yoshitoshi. Plate 10 John Stevenson 'Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales'

£980

KUNIYOSHI Ichiyusai. (1798-1861)

Ôshô. 1853.

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

A mirror of The Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety.

Publisher

Izumi-ya Ichibei.

oban yoko-e, 36.4 cm × 26.3 cm

Good impression, very good colour and condition.

Osho (Wang Hsiang) was a public official who lived in the 3rd century A.D. One day in winter, his stepmother expressed a desire for fresh fish even though all the rivers were frozen. Osho lay down on the surface of the ice until the warmth of his body caused the ice to melt and fish sprang forth from the hole on the surface. 

Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.

£850

Tsukioka Kōgyo 1869-1927

Tōsen. The Chinese Ship.

Category

Japanese | Warriors War And Legend

Series

One Hundred Noh Plays

Publisher

Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya)

oban tate-e, 26.0 cm × 38.0 cm

Excellent impression, colour and condition.

The print depicts So Kei and his children on a boat to China. So Kei is taken prisoner during a maritime battle between China and Japan and forced into the service of Hakozaki, where he takes wife and raises two children. But he left behind two children in China prior to his incarceration, who thirteen years later, travel to Japan with a ransom for their father’s release. Once reunited, Hakozaki is moved by the children’s love and permits So Kei to return to China. But Hakozaki will not allow the Japanese children to return with them. The decision to stay with his Japanese children or leave with his Chinese children is too great, So Kei tries to kill himself by jumping from a boulder. However the children implore him by grasping his sleeves. Hakozaki, moved by the filial devotion, relents and allows So Kei and all his children to leave together.

Signed Kōgyo with artist’s seal. Printed February 1923.

£150