Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)
Yoshida Sadaemon Kanesada fending off arrows
Series: Seichû gishi den (Stories of the Faithful Samurai)
Signature: Ichiyûsai Kunyoshi ga
Seal: Kiri-Mon
Censor: Muramatsu, Yoshimura
Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke, Edo
Date: 1847/48
Size: Horizontal Oban, 36,2 x 25,3 cm
Excellent print and colours, sheet unbacked, minor vertical centre fold, at the bottom minimally soiled, altogether in excellent condition.
In this famous Samurai series by Kuniyoshi, each hero of the 47 faithful samurai (also known as Chûshingura) is pictured and described. The story goes, that after the forced suicide of their Lord, the daimyo of Akô Asano Naganori, in the year 1701, the 47 faithful Samurai became Ronin. Two years later, with a lot of tactical planning and effort, they finally had the chance to avenge the death of their Lord by killing Kira Yoshinaka.
Robinson, p. 54.6. Weinberg, Kuniyoshi. The faithful samurai. Amsterdam 2005, No. I.6
sold