Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Honchô Suikoden gôyû happyaku-nin no hitori
本朝水滸伝剛勇八百人一個
Eight Hundred Heroes of Our Country’s Suikoden, One by One

Ôanamuchi-no-mikoto killing the monstrous eagle that had been attacking passing ships.

Publisher: Kaga-ya Kichiyemon
Date: c. 1830 (whole series between c.1830-36)
Lit: B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints", S4a.10
B. W. Robinson, Kuniyoshi (Victoria and Albert, London, 1961), pl.10

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"

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

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

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

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)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

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

Yazama Jûjirô Moto-oki, one of the 47 Ronin, fighting with crossed swords by a sand pit with an overturned brazier

Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi
Publisher: Ise-ya Isaburô
Date: snake 3/1857
Censor seal: aratame
Excellent 1st edition print with fine impression and condition and very good colours.
With rich powder for the flying sand. With albumbacking.
Upper area lightly soiled, margins trimmed.
oban tate-e 24.5 x 37.0 cm
see in B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints" S90.13 (listed as not seen)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Two Sumi brush drawings on thin Japanese Paper
c. 1830's

a. Warrior fighting off an attacker on a rooftop.

The print after that drawing. From the series:
Eight Hundred Heroes of Our Country's Suikoden, One by One
Scene: Inudzuka Shino Moritaka resisting arrest on the Hôryûkaku roof
Date: c.1830/36
Robinson: S4a.3

b. Oiran (courtesan) in the garden

Preparatory drawings for woodblock prints.
Overall very good condition and impression. Creased and folded at edges. Minor marks and flaws.
each 27,3 x 37,4 cm

Grateful thanks to P.J. for identifying the print to the first drawing.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798-1861)

Taiheiki Eiyuden
Heroic Stories of the Taiheiki

Sakurai Takichi Kiyokazu / Sakurai Sakichi

Sakurai Sakichi armoured, carrying a sashimono (flag) with black discs containing the junishi (12 signs of the Zodiac) surrounding the character sakigake (leader). Making a great stroke with his naginata (weapon with long curved blade).
Sakurai Sakichi is known as one of the three famous swordsmen of the Shizugamine battle in 1583.

Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga
Censor: Mera and Murata
Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi
Date: 1848/49
Text on top: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858
oban tate-e approx- 35,5 x 24,5 cm
see in B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints", S62.34

I really like that it shows heavy age wear. Framed with a black cardboard underlying it shows all the wormholes and tears which makes it appear pretty rough, like a battle flag.
mpc

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798 - 1861)

Kokon honchô meijo hyaku den
A hundred stories of famous women and men of our country, ancient and modern
Kusunoki Masaahige in court robes seated beside a celestial globe
c.1843

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei
Censor: Muramatsu
Rare print, overall good impression and condition, very good color, minor marks, stains and flaws, little red spot at lower margin, some unbacked holes, little paper loss and peppering at upper right corner and along the right margin
oban tate-e, fullsize 37,7 x 25,5 cm
see in B.W. Robinsons "Warrior Prints" S30.10

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798 - 1861)

Prince Genji and two ladies watching the cherry-blossom.

Publisher: Mikawa-ya Tetsugorô (Santetsu)
Carver: hori ko Shoji (Tsuge Shojiro)
Censors's seal: aratame
Date: tiger 8/1854
oban tate-e triptych

Grateful thanks to Mr. W.P. for informations about the publisher.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798 - 1861)

Heishôgoku Nyûdô wa Go-Shirakawa-tei no otoshigo nite

Kiyomori at Miyajima arresting the sunset by incantations, so that work could proceed on his new buildings
c. 1842-1843

Publisher: Tsuji-ya Yasubei
oban tate-e triptych
ex-collection B.W. Robinson
see B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints" plate 42,T83
mpc

The very first print I have purchased. I am still finding new details that catch me. Great design, fascinating composition with the woman's white face right in the centre of the triptych.