Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳

The Wada Rebellion: Asahina Saburō Yoshihide Attacking with Fierce Courage and Strength (和田合戦　朝夷三郎義秀猛勇怪力之図 Wada kassen Asahina Saburō Yoshihide mōyū kairyoku no zu)

Maker

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1798-1861
b. in Edo, Japan)
Jōshūya Juzō 上州屋重蔵 (Japanese, 1812 - 1876, Edo, Japan), publisher

Title

The Wada Rebellion: Asahina Saburō Yoshihide Attacking with Fierce Courage and Strength (和田合戦　朝夷三郎義秀猛勇怪力之図 Wada kassen Asahina Saburō Yoshihide mōyū kairyoku no zu)
和田合戦　朝夷三郎義秀　猛勇怪力之図

Period

Edo Period

Year

1857, 5th month

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

color, ink

Supports

Geography

Place Made: Japan; Place Made: Tokyo

Dimensions

Right parts of a vertical ōban triptych: 35.9 x 49.5 cm (14 1/8 x 19 1/2 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signature: 一勇斎国芳画
Translation: Pictured by Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi

Seals: Artist's seal: Paulownia crest
Censor's seals: Aratame, 巳四 Snake 4
Blockcutter's mark: 彫兼 Hori Kane

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Paula and Leonard Granoff

Object Number

85.197.8

Type

Exhibition History

The Artistry of Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Oct 07, 2023 – Apr 28, 2024

Label copy

Here Kuniyoshi depicts a historical 1213 battle and the superhuman strength of Asahina Saburō, a warrior of the Wada clan, who tilts an entire structure to topple his foes. Asahina was said to be the son of the legendary female warrior Tomoe Gozen. He is associated with incredible feats, including fighting sharks and crocodiles. Originally part of a triptych, these two prints show Asahina’s valor and heroism as he appears to single-handedly defeat a host of attackers.

Poets, Heroes, and Courtiers
Literary and Narrative Traditions in Japanese Prints
Sep 06, 2002 – Dec 01, 2002

Label copy

Asahina Saburo, son of Wada Yoshimori (1147-1213) and Tomoe Gozen, was known for his great strength. In 1213, Asahina’s father, Yoshimori, was provoked to revolt unsuccessfully against the Hojo regents of the Kamakura shogunate. The battle depicted here occurred during that revolt.

19th-Century Japanese Printmaking, Part I
The Heroic, Bizarre, and Supernatural
Sep 09, 1998 – Dec 06, 1998
Legends of the Samurai
Oct 01, 1993

Related Objects

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳

Wada rebellion: Asahina Saburo Yoshihide attacking with superhuman strength (Wada kassen Asahina Saburo Yoshihide moyu kairiki), Edo Period
No Image Available

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳

Wada rebellion: Asahina Saburo Yoshihide attacking with superhuman strength (Wada kassen Asahina Saburo Yoshihide moyu kairiki), Edo Period

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1798-1861
b. in Edo, Japan)
Jōshūya Juzō 上州屋重蔵 (Japanese, 1812 - 1876, Edo, Japan), publisher
Koizumi Kanegōrō 小泉兼五郎 (Japanese, 1800s in Edo, Japan), block carver
The Wada Rebellion: Asahina Saburō Yoshihide Attacking with Fierce Courage and Strength (和田合戦　朝夷三郎義秀猛勇怪力之図 Wada kassen Asahina Saburō Yoshihide mōyū kairyoku no zu); 和田合戦　朝夷三郎義秀　猛勇怪力之図, 1857, 5th month
Polychrome woodblock prints
Right parts of a vertical ōban triptych: 35.9 x 49.5 cm (14 1/8 x 19 1/2 inches)
Gift of Paula and Leonard Granoff 85.197.8

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