Samurai Vs. Crocodile… The Woodblock Prints of Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) was one of the great masters of Japanese woodblock printing and painting the ukiyo-e style. Some of his best known work are his triptychs of Samurai warriors in battle, sometimes against one another, sometimes against nature and sometimes against supernatural forces. His prints and paintings are full of stunning movement and color, epic scenes of violence and action. It’s easy to see the roots of manga culture in these prints; the graphic and surreal stories each picture tells and the glorification of the fight are central to Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s prints. You can see an ongoing collection of his work here, and check out a few of my favourite Samurai-themed triptychs below, pulled from his work done between 1818 and 1861.

Description: Ushiwaka Maru practicing fencing among the pine trees of Kuramayama with the tengu under the supervision of their king, Sôjô-bô. The tengu here are completely birdlike

Description: Asahina Saburô Yoshihide struggling with two crocodiles on the seashore, watched by the Shôgun Yori-ie from a rock, with Mt. Fuji in the background

Description: Raikô’s retainers about to kill the Earth-Spider in the midst of its web

Description: Miyamoto Musashi bursting out of the bathhouse, to the consternation of Shirakura Gengoemon, his wife, and followers, who had intended to boil him alive there

Description: The Earth Spider (right) conjures up demons at the mansion of Minamoto no Raikô (Minamoto no Yorimitsu) (right), who lies sick in bed. Two of his bodyguards, Watanabe no Tsuna and Sakata no Kintoki, play go (centre), while Urabe no Suetake (right) and Usui no Tadamitsu (left) look towards the procession of spirits in the background

Description: The ghost of Akugenda Yoshihira striking down his killer, Namba Jirô, at the Nunobiki waterfall before Kiyomori and his suite

Description: Tadatsune killing the monstrous wild boar, watched by Yoritomo and his followers

Description: Asahina Yoshihide’s fight with two crocodiles in the sea off Kamakura, watched by the Shôgun Yori-ie and his nobles in boats

Description: Yoshitsune’s leap at the Battle of Dan-no-ura with Noritsune leaping after him

Description: Jiraiya is killing huge snake eyeing a giant toad behind him

Description: Miyamoto Musashi fighting off a pack of wolves in the Hakone mountains, watched by Sekiguchi Yatarô, seated smoking by a fire (right sheet)

Description: Jiraiya and his followers, seated on the shore, watch Amame Isobei catching two miscreants, while Onikubi Kôemon engages the youth Masajirô and the maiden Midori in combat

Description: The Nue, shot down in a swirling black cloud by Gen Sammi Yorimasa (源三位頼政) is about to be dispatched by Ii no Hayata (猪早太廣直). The soldier on the right panel is identified as 渡邉丁七唱.
NOTE: The nue (鵺) was a beast with the head of a monkey, the claws of a tiger, the back of a badger and a snake for a tail. It spent its nights on the roof of the Emperor’s palace, causing him grave illness until it was slain by I no Hayata Hironao. Usually Minamoto Yorimasa is credited with shooting it down off the roof.

Description: Kuriu Saemon, Hata Rokurozaemon, Shinozuka Iga no Kami, and Watari Shinzaemon, retainers of Nitta Yoshisada, breaking up a haunted temple

Description: The ghosts of Tomomori and the other Taira warriors slain at Dan-no-ura attacking Yoshitsune and Benkei in their ship

Description: Kamei Rokurô Shigekiyo making his debut as one of Yoshitsune’s retainers by fighting a black bear in the snow, watched by Yoshitsune and other retainers

Description: Raikô’s retainers advancing on Kidô Maru, who raises his buffalo-hide disguise


Description: Yoshitsune and his nineteen chief retainers in a ship

Description: The hero Raikô (Minamoto no Yorimitsu) in his sickness is tormented by the Earth Spider, one of whose legs he has cut off, but it is replaced by a human arm

Description: The Nine-tailed Fox slain on Nasu moor by Miura-no-suke Tsunetane and Kazusa no Suke Hirotsune
Lucas Badini De Albuquerque Mendes
شرقی
Justin Cody Essing
Ooooooo
Jon-Michael
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there’s an amazing exhibition in Paris at the Petit Palais. hundreds of his works in a gorgeous display. don’t miss it !
I went to this a few weeks ago! So amazing and worth checking out