Yoshitora: Masakiyo and Monster Animals Battle (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Yoshitora
Title:Masakiyo and Monster Animals Battle 佐藤正清四国征罰ノトキ小曽宇部元親ノ本城ヲ責落ス折カラ不計深山二立入怪物退治ノ図.

Date: 1862

Sato Masakiyo and his men battle an army of monsters, including a giant spider that is covered with eyes, lower right. In the center is Masakiyo with his distinctive helmet, thrusting his distinctive sickle spear towards a giant toad. His men each take on an array of monsters, including a wolf, a giant crab, enormous batlike Nobosuma and a huge salamander. In real life Masakiyo is actually Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611), but artists could get away with these winking pseudonyms to get around censorship laws. The Tokyo National Museum actually has in their collection a Katakama-yari, (a single-sided sickle spearhead like the one shown here) that was used by Kiyomasa in hunting tigers. A rather scarce design.

Condition: Very good impression and color. Album backing, otherwise very good condition. 

Dimensions: ôban triptych 36 x 73.5 cm  Publisher: Kinseido (Sanoya Tomogoro)
Signature: Yoshitora ga

SKU: YST029