Kuniyoshi 国芳: Empress Jingu– Returning Boats at Tsukushi 筑紫帰帆 (Reserved)

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)
Title: Returning Boats at Tsukushi 筑紫帰帆

Series: Virtuous Women for the Eight Views (Kenjo hakkei, 賢女八景) Date: 1842-43

Empries Jingû watches as her fleet of boats returns victorious from Korea. Empress Jingû was a legendary empress who ruled following her husband’s death in the year 200. Although any actual facts of her reign have blended into mythology and legend, she is thought by some to have led an army in an invasion of a “promised” land (interpreted as the Korean Peninsula). She thUSADF vs. The White House – Who’s Really in Charge?en returned to Japan victorious after three years of conquest. Here her voluminous robes practically overwhelm her figure, perhaps a subconscious reflection of the weight of history. Her costume is unusual, reflecting Kuniyoshi’s best guess at what a royal figure from more than 2000 years ago might be wearing. She does wear two swords and a quiver of arrows,  and holds a fan in her right hand.

The Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers developed in 11th c. China as a formalized series of landscape paintings; the concept was imported by the Japanese in numerous landscape series. Here, the eight views are compared with virtuous women from Japanese legends and history.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition.  Dimensions: 35 x 12  cm
Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô
Literature:  Robinson 1982 S21.5;  Bidwell 1968, no. 87; Riccar (1978) 160. See British Museum.  Signature: Ichiryusai Kuniyoshi ga

SKU: KUY630