In the Western Sea, the Diving Women Encounter the Heike Clan in the Depths of the Water, 1843 - 1847 - Fantastic depiction of slain Taira warriors at the bottom of the sea following the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185. After their defeat by the Minamoto, Taira no Tomomori tied himself to an anchor and leapt overboard along with many of his men rather than be captured. At left, a pair of diving girls attached to ropes encounters the blue-faced ghosts of the samurai on the sea floor. Taira no Tomomori sits in the center, he and his men glaring fiercely at the women from their rocky perch as crabs and fish swim all around them, an octopus clinging to the anchor at left. At right, a dragon surrounds the young Emperor Antoku, who is show seated beside a group of ladies-in-waiting whose long hair flows around them in the current. A terrific image from this legendary tale, with wonderful detail in the underwater setting. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has this image in its collection.

Artist - Yoshitora (active circa 1840 - 1880)

Image Size - 13 3/4" x 27 3/4"

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Three attached panels. Thinning and small losses along edges, a few holes, repaired. Slight toning, soiling, creasing, and rubbing. Please see photos for details. Good overall.