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.

Inagawa Jibunotayu Minamoto-no Yoshimoto (Imagawa Yoshimoto) - Bold depiction of the powerful daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto directing military operations from a folding camp stool. He gestures angrily with his fan, his face contorted with rage, his body tensed and ready to spring up. He wears an impressive battle helmet topped with horns and a dragon. A rustic wooden fence with a fringed standard tied to it fills the background at left. A great expressive portrait.

Artist - Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)

Image Size - 14" x 9 1/2"

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Stitching holes along one side from previous folio binding, a few wormholes or holes, most prints have losses at corners, repaired. Soiling, creasing, and rubbing. Please see photos for details.