Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)
Isoai Jûroemon Masahisa wielding his naginata
Signature: Ichiyûsai Kunyoshi ga
Series: Seichû gishi den (Stories of the Faithful Samurai)
Seal: Kiri-Mon
Censor: Hama, Kinugasa
Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke, Edo
Date: 1847/48
Size: Horizontal Oban, 36,2 x 25,2 cm
Excellent print and colours, sheet unbacked, at the right margin minor creases, 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 daimyô 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.54.10. Weinberg, Kuniyoshi. The faithful samurai. Amsterdam 2005, No. I.10
€ 620,- reserved