Heroic Stories of the Taiheiki - Few other Japanese woodblock printmakers ever matched Kuniyoshi's detail and artistry in the genre of warrior prints. Published between 1847 - 1850, Kuniyoshi's fantastic series, "Heroic Stories of the Taiheiki (Grand Pacification)," presents fifty full-length portraits of famous warriors involved in the closing period of the civil wars in 16th century Japan, just before unification of the country. These dramatic images show these leaders engaged in battle or posing heroically in all their military glory. Kuniyoshi captures the unique aspects of each warrior, with texts above detailing their heroic careers. To evade the prohibitions enacted in 1804 against depicting historic figures who lived after 1573, each warrior has a pseudonym that would have been easily recognized by the viewers of the time. The actual name of the individual is provided in parentheses. These prints are a great opportunity to collect a part of Japanese history, dynamically documented by the leading master of warrior prints.

Tatsugawa Sakon Katsumasa (Takigawa Kazumasu) - Terrific portrait of Takigawa Kazumasu, a faithful retainer of Oda Nobunaga. Born in Omi Province, he served as the shogun's deputy in northeastern Japan. After Nobunaga's death, he initially fought against Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but joined him after being defeated at Kamegawa Castle. Here, Kazumasu leaps angrily to his feet, shouting and gesturing with his hand. He wears a kimono patterned with large blue and yellow floral medallions, tucked into matching hakama pants, the fabric trailing on the floor beside him. The bearded leader wears a tall black court cap and grips a folding fan. Two retainers kneel behind him. A great bold image with handsome color and detail in the fabric.

Artist - Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)

Image Size - 14 1/4" x 9 3/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Faint spotting along right edge, slight soiling and creasing. Please see photos for details. Good overall.