Comments - Fantastic scene of Ichikawa Sadanji I as the young samurai Okawa Tomoemon rescuing important documents from the burning palace of his daimyo, Lord Hosokawa. The loyal Okawa rushed back into the flames to retrieve the documents, only to discover that escape was impossible. To save the papers, he committed suicide by disemboweling himself and thrusting the documents into his belly in the hope that his body would prevent them from burning. After the fire, his charred body was recovered with the bloodstained scrolls intact, thus saving his master's fortunes. Here, the samurai looks wildly around for escape, red flames swirling and burning embers flying around him, the document box tucked under his arm. An incredible dramatic scene with a fantastic composition. Beautifully printed with a burnished geometric pattern in the black kimono. A terrific illustration of Okawa's heroic sacrifice and a great choice for a collector interested in classic Japanese tales.

Artist - Meiji era artist (unsigned)

Image Size - 14 1/4" x 9 3/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Slight soiling, a few creases at edges. Please see photos for details. Good overall.