Yoshitoshi: Torii Suneemon Katsutaka and the Siege of Nagashino (2nd edition) (Sold)

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Title: Torii Suneemon Katsutaka and the Siege of Nagashino
Series: Twenty-four Accomplishments in Imperial Japan (Kôkoku nijûshikô)
Date: 1887 (this edition is 1895)

Torii Suneemon is seen making his way in a river by night, sneaking back through the enemy territory towards his own besieged castle, having delivered a message to Tokugawa Ieyasu in Okazaki for aid. Upon his return to the besieged castle of Nagashino, the trip-wired alarm bells ring, scaring a group of herons and alerting the enemy Takedato his presence. Here we see him attempting to sneak back in the pouring rain, and we see the two herons flying above him that he must have just disturbed. He holds his sword at the ready, but he is soon captured by the enemy. In the large cartouche above is a commentary by the playwright Ryutei Tanehiko. There is an earlier triptych from 1868 of this same scene that may be viewed on this website.

This is an example from the later Meiji edition, with the changes that include an updated signature, a light-colored cartouche, grey instead of blue river water and a loss of outline to the wire at the bottom. 

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. Backed. Second edition, dated Meiji 28 (1895).
Dimensions: ôban (37.3 x 25 cm)
Publisher: Daikokuya
Literature: Keyes 438.23. See Claremont Digital Libraries online. See also MFA.
Signature: Yoshitoshi 

SKU: YOCS053