Kuniyoshi: Taira Tomomori at the bottom of the sea (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Title: Taira Tomomori at the bottom of the sea
Date: 1851-52

“Picture of the Ocean Bottom at Daimotsu Bay” Daimotsu-no-ura kaitei no dzu.The ghost of the defeated yet undaunted Taira Tomomori (apparently portrayed by the kabuki actor Nakamura Utaemon IV), seated upon a giant crab and surrounded by sea creatures, plans a revenge attack of the Taira ghosts on Yoshitsune. Many of the slain Taira have taken the form of crabs (each with a human face upon its back) and are crawling about on everything. The men still show their wounds but have the grey-blue visage of death. This is the exact print shown in “The Warrior Prints” by Robinson, figure 22. (This design is also in the collection of the MFA and the Bidwell Collection). Provenance: From the personal collection of B. W. Robinson.

Dimensions: ôban triptych
Publisher: Fujiokaya Keijirô
Literature: Robinson (1982), #T266 and figure 22. Shown in color in “Heroes & Ghosts”, plate 88, page 103. Springfield (1980), plate 184.
Seal: Censor’s seals Mera & Watanabe
Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga with his paulownia

SKU: KUY188