Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Five Warriors Likened to Five Famous Horses of Great Men

五将軍見立五人男馬超

Actor / Schauspieler: Kanjaku (poetry name of Nakamura Utaemon IV)
Role / Rolle: Token Gombei
Signature / Signatur: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga
Publisher / Verleger: Ise-ya Sanjuro
Date / Datierung: 1843
Dimension / Format: oban tate-e, 25.5 x 36 cm
From the collection of B.W. Robinson, the author of "Kuniyoshi - Warrior Prints"

Munehiro
(active c. 1850-70)

Actor: Mimasu Inemaru I as Nagoya Sanza (Sanzaburô / 名古屋山三郎, left) and Ichikawa Saruzo I as (Fuwa) Banzaemon (不破伴左衛門, right)
Play: Keisei Inazuma Zoshi
performed at Wakadaju Theatre 9/1855
lit. Ikeda Bunko Vol.III no.309
chuban, 17 x 24,5 cm

Yoshitoyo
(1830-66)
A pupil of Kunisada, later of Kuniyoshi, who worked in Edo and Osaka

A chuban deluxe diptych and two different versions of the left sheet.
The left one is the deluxe edition with silver and gold pigments, the right one a standard edition.

Role: Sasano Gonza
Play: Gonza Gonpachi Hanashimo Yoshiwara
performed: c.1855
lit. Waseda 6-355

Hirosada
(active 1820 - 1860)

Title: Iwami Buyuden (Act 1)
Actor: Ichikawa Ebizo V as Hirose Gunzo
Play: Iwami Jutaro
performed Naka Theatre 3/1855
right sheet of a diptych
lit. Waseda 6-355

The complete diptych. Thanks to Mr.G.J. for the better picture.

ANDO HIROSHIGE
(1797 - 1858)

Kanadehon Chushingura

The Storehouse of Loyalty
Schatzhaus der treuen Vasallen

Act 1
The Hachiman Temple looking out over the Bay of Yedo. Moronao turning his back on Wakasa and Yenya, and walking away; Lady Kawoyo behind them looking at the retreating Moronao.

Akt 1
Der Hachiman Tempel, im Hintergrund die Bucht von Yedo. Moronao wendet Wakasa und Yenya den Rücken zu und geht. Lady Kawoyo steht hinter ihnen und sieht dem wegschreitenden Moronao nach.

Signature / Signatur: Hiroshige ga
Publisher/ Verleger: Marusai
Censor's seals / Zensorensiegel: Kinugasa, Watanabe
Date / Datierung: 1842-1853
oban yoko-e, lower margin trimmed / unterer Rand fehlt

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Fujito hama Sasaki Moritsuna etc.

Sasaki Moritsuna and his troops fording the Inland Sea at sunrise to attack the Taira at Kojima Castle in Bizen on November 1, 1184


Signature: Kuniyoshi ga, with Kiri seal
Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
Date: Late 1849-1850
oban tate-e triptych
see in B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints" T220
mpc

Signature: Kiyo Sada aratame Masunobu
Role: Nikki Danjo
Serie: Kokin Komaiden / Stories from the past and now
Date: 1848

SADAHIDE
(1807 - 1873)

Great procession with hundreds of people
Prozession mit hunderten von Menschen

Signature / Signatur: --- Sadahide ga
Publisher / Verleger: Kobayashi Taijirō (Bunseidō)
Date / Datum: c.1850's
Censor's seal / Zensorsiegel: Mera
Dimension / Format: oban tate-e triptych each sheet approx 35 x 25 cm

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)


The actor Nakamura Utaemon IV in a scene from the Kabuki play Ki-ichi, performed in the 8th 1849

Der Schauspieler Nakamura Utaemon IV in einer Rolle des Kabuki Stücks Ki-ichi. aufgeführt im achten Monat des Jahres 1849

Signature / Signatur: Kuniyoshi ga, with / mit Kiri seal / Siegel
Publisher / Verleger: Ebiya Rinnosuke
Date / Datierung: c.1849
Dimension / Format: oban tate-e, 23.5 x 35 cm

Aus der Sammlung von B.W. Robinson, Autor des Buches "Kuniyoshi - Warrior Prints".

The complete triptych:
(l.to r.): Nakamura Utaemon IV as Kiichi Hogen, Bando Shuka as Tarozo aka Ushiwakamaru
and Sekisanjuro II as Chienai aka Yoshioka Kisanta

Katsushika Hokusai
(1760 - 1849)

Ehon Saiyuki

Illustrated book, 38 pages, three doublepages with sumizuri-e woodblock prints.
Some later watercoloring on one page and japanese writing on the last page. With age wear, flaws, stains and marks. One wormtrace working through half of the book at corners. Moderate state. Binding should be repaired.
Dimension: Hanshi-bon, 23 x 16 cm
Date: c.1836/40

TOYOKUNI III / KUNISADA
(1786 - 1865)

Women carrying a dragon at a procession
Frauen einen Drachen auf einem Umzug tragend

Signature / Signatur (right sheet / rechtes Blatt): oju Kochoro Toyokuni ga, with Toshidama seal / mit Toshidama Siegel
Publisher / Verleger: Iba-ya Senzaburo
Date / Datum: c.1850's
Censor's seal / Zensorsiegel: Watanabe
Dimension: oban tate-e triptych each sheet approx 37 x 25 cm

You can see a Japanese woodblock printer doing his work.

Utagawa Yoshitora
(active c.1840-80)

In 1702, Lord Asano of Ako was provoked by Kira Kozukenosuke Yoshinaka into drawing his sword in the shogun's palace, for which he was forced to take his own life, and his estate was confiscated. Forty-seven of Lord Asano's retainers, who were now ronin - samurai without masters, planned and carried out a successful attack on Kira's palace. Kira's head was cut off with the same dagger Lord Asano used to commit seppuku. The 46 surviving ronin then took their own lives. These events were made into the famous play, Kanadehon Chushingura.

Hirosada
(active 1820 - 1860)

Okubi-e
Actor: Nakamura Tamashichi I as Sute Wakamaru
Play: Keisei Chigoga Fuchi
performed: 03/1852
sheet 1 of 2
lit. Ikeda Bunko IV no.441
chuban tate-e


© kotobuki.de

Nakamura Tamashichi I as Sute Wakamura and Arashi Rikaku II as the barber Gengoro in the same play, 03/1852.

Utagawa Yoshitora
(active c.1840-80)

Ujigawa Kassen no Zu
The Battle at Uji River. Sasaki Takatsuna and Kajikawa Kagesue, and their horses and retainers fording the river to attack Kiso Yoshinaka.

Publisher: Daikoku-ya Heikichi
Date: c.1840's
Oban tate-e triptych: each sheet 14.5" x 9.75" approx
no longer available

Hirosada

Okubi-e of the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ibijuro IV as Shikama Shobei

chuban tate-e

Munehiro

Okubi-e Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ibijuro IV as Zetsu no Genzaemon

chuban tate-e
mpc

Hirosada
(active 1820 - 1860)

Arashi Rikaku II (c.1812 ~ 14 July 1864) as Tamagawa no Omutsu
Play: Minarote Toriawasetaru Okimiyage performed Kado theatre 10/1852
Sumi brush drawing and watercolors on japanese paper.
chuban tate-e 26,5 x 19 cm
Lit.: Ikeda Bunko, Vol.IV, no. 477

Sadanobu I
(1809 - 1879)

Sumi brush drawings / partly coloured
Original okubi-e sketches seemingly after a series of prints.
Very good condition with minor marks and flwas. Two little binding holes.
each 13,5 x 18,7 cm

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Seichû gishin meimei kagami
Mirror of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Retainers
1857

Teraoka Heiemon Nobuyuki, one of the 47 ronin, carrying two buckets of water through the snow.

Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi
Publisher: Ise-ya Isaburô
Date: snake 3/1857
Censor seal: aratame
Excellent colours and details. Horizontal center fold, now flattened. Very small repaired loss at left edge. Slight soiling and wrinkling. Minor marks.
oban tate-e
see in B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints" S90.18

Toyokuni III / Kunisada
(1786 - 1865)

Gonin otoko soroi no yukata

Five brave men in yukata
I am not sure about the right sequence.

from left to right:
1. A man called Tsukinowa no kuma (bear of cresent moon)
2. A man called ? (eagle)
3. A man called Minonowa no kame (turtle covered seaweed)
4. A man called Kokuun no tatsu (dragon of black cloud)
5. A man called Takemon no tora (tiger of bamboo gate)

Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiemon
Censor's seal: aratame
Date: 5/1861
oban tate-e

Toyokuni III / Kunisada
(1786 - 1865)

Gonin otoko soroi no yukata
Five brave men in yukata

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
(1839-1892)

Tsuki hyakushi

100 Aspects of the Moon
#33 Dawn Moon of the Shinto Rites
5.6.1886

The Sanno festival is a traditional event still celebrated nowadays in Japan. The print shows a dancer with a long red wig impersonating the Dragon King, performing the ceremonial Shinto dance.

Publisher: Akiyama Buemon
oban tate-e

It reminds me of the fantastic painter and comic drawer Jean Giraud alias Moebius.

The two drawings are from the amazing books "Moebius:Welten" published by Angelika Stepken for Badischer Kunstverein Karlsruhe were Jean Giraud had a beautiful solo exhibition in 2004 and "Moebius Zeichenwelt" by Andreas Platthaus, published 2003 by Andere Bibliothek, Eichborn Verlag.




© Badischer Kunstverein Karlsruhe, Eichborn Verlag, Frankfurt am Main and Jean Giraud

Toyokuni III / Kunisada
(1786 - 1865)

Mitate Sanju Rokku-sen
The Thirty-six Outstanding Poems

Courtesan Takao and Patron
Not identified actors as Miuraya Takao and Sakingo Yorikane

Signature: Ichiyosai Toyokuni ga, Gengyo
Publisher: Iseya Kanekichi
Censor: aratame
Date: 3/1856
Overall good impression and condition. Good colours and details. Repaired loss at lower left corner, repaired thinning at lower right corner. Creasing throughout, light soiling, slight rubbing near edges.
oban tate-e

Kunisato
(pupil of Kunisada, died 1858)

Man and boy standing in the snow.
Kabuki scene

Signature: Rizu sen Kunisato ga
Publisher: Ki-ya Sojiro
Censor: Aratame
Date: snake 1, 1857/I
Overall very good impression. Strong woodgrain structure in the backround, with nice bokashi. Gauffrage on the white dress. Strong, vivid colours. Age wear, marks and soiling. Small paper losses and rubbings at the corners. Laid on japanese album backing. Margins trimmed.
oban tate-e, 24 x 35 cm

Grateful thanks to Mr H.L. for the identification of the signature.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Man with musket
(Fire-arms were bannished in ancient Japan, pictures showing muskets are hard to find)
Maybe part of a Kabuki print

Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga with Kiri seal
Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi
Date: c. 1847

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Kisokaido Rokujuku Tsugi
The Sixty-nine Post Stations of the Kisokaido Road
c. 1853

The station of Hosokute / No 49
Horikoshi Dairyo drawing his sword against the ghost of Asakura Togo in a scene from the Kabuki play Higashiyama Sakura soshi. In a cartouche above, a road through a group of pine trees.

Publisher: Yawata-ya Sakujiro
Carver: hori Takichi (Ota Utakichi)
1st edition print. Excellent condition and impression, fine colours with gauffrage and shomenzuri. Minor marks and flaws.
oban tate-e, full size
see in B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints" S74.50
Sarah E. Thompson "Utagawa Kuniyoshi: The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido", no.49 p.114f

"Hosokute: Horikoshi Dairei and the Ghost of Asakura Togo - Incredible design depicting a scene from the kabuki play "Higashiyama Sakura soshi" (The Higashiyama Storybook), based on a true story. A local mayor named Asakura Togo (the real-life Kiuchi Sogoro) petitioned the shogun directly for tax relief for his town, bypassing the crooked governor Masatomo. As a result of his illegal act, he and his wife are sentenced to die by crucifixion, but must first watch their four children executed. The ghost of Asakura Togo returns to haunt those who wronged him, here startling the seated samurai Horikoshi Dairei in his bed. A ghastly blue hand extends from the sleeve of a heavy kimono lying across the bed, reaching up to touch the warrior's face as he turns away, drawing his sword. The gray shadow of the pleading Togo kneels before him, and the snow and bushes outside transform into skulls and a crucified figure. A fantastic supernatural scene from this famous tale, detailed with soft shading and a beautiful burnished geometric pattern in the warrior's black kimono. "
(fujiarts.com)

Hirosada
(active 1820-60)

Attributed to be a scene of the Kabuki play "Hatsuebisu Fukuyatokuwaka"

(right to left) Jitsukawa Enzaburo I as Mukadeya Kingoro, Nakamura Tamashichi I as the apprentice Komakichi and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Tokuwaka Saizo.
Performed at the Naka Theater in the first month 1851.

Publisher: Kinkado
Date: 1851
double chuban tate-e

Thanks to J.V. for identifying the actors and the play.

unknown Osaka artist

Kabuki diptych
c. 1850's

Cut-out paintings on paper applied to backing paper with the costumes in luxurious silk brocades. This unusual and rare mixed-media painting format called oshi-e or Kirikome-e was made in the Kamigata area (Osaka-Kyoto) during the Edo period.

36,5 x 21 cm

Some examples made in the same technique found in the web: