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.

Samanosuke Fujiwara-no Yasuakira (Kato Yoshiaki Samanosuke) - Terrific portrait of Kato Yoshiaki Samanosuke, a noted warrior and horseman from Omi Province. As a young man, the samurai Sato was impressed with his skills in breaking a wild horse. The Sato family adopted him, and he went on to become a hero during Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea in the 1590s. He stands firmly, ready for battle with his spear in one hand. He wears a magnificent set of armor complete with battle helmet, his personal standard flying behind him. A dramatic pose with fantastic color and detail. A great choice for collectors interested in the samurai tradition.

Artist - Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)

Image Size - 14" x 9 3/8"

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Backed with paper. Slight toning and soiling, a couple marks, small crease at edge. Please see photos for details.