The One and Only Eight Dog History of Old Kyokutei, Best of Refined Authors - Written by Kyokutei Bakin over a period of almost thirty years, the epic 106-volume novel "Nanso Satamoi Hakkenden" tells the story of eight samurai brothers who are descended from a mysterious union between a dog and Princess Fuse. The daughter of Lord Anzai of the Satomi clan, the princess gave birth to them in the form of eight green crystal balls, each bearing the character for a Confucian principle, which were scattered across the country, becoming human children born to different families. They did not know of each other's existence until they slowly met by happenstance and decided to pledge their brotherhood. Each bears the character for dog (inu) in his name. Their exciting adventures are chronicled in this tale, which was hugely popular during the Edo era.

Inuyama Dosetsu Tadatomo - Terrific illustration from the Edo era novel "Tale of the Eight Dog Warriors of Satomi," written by Kyokutei Bakin. Here, Inuyama Dosetsu Tadatomo balances one foot on the edge of a stone trough as he chops at it with a sword, rays of light radiating across the night sky from lower right. He grips the weapon with both hands, biting a piece of cloth between his teeth. His robes are pushed down to the waist, worn over a black fur vest and a suit of armor trimmed with swinging fringe. Water pours out the side of the cracked basin, splashing onto the ground below. A dynamic design with wonderful detail in armor.

Artist - Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)

Image Size - 14 1/8" x 9 3/4"

Condition - This print with good detail as shown. Backed with paper. Horizontal fold. Small loss at edge, repaired. A few creases, light horizontal line where backing papers meet. Please see photos for details.