Title: Shina-no Sakon Tomoyuki Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) Series: Heroic Stories of the Taiheiki Format: ōban (approx. 36 × 24 cm) Condition The paper shows natural age folds. The soft green bokashi background and the pigments remains vivid, with no tears in the image area. The bottom of the print is slightly dirty. The woodgrain and Kanji are clearly visible — an early, detailed impression. Please check the photos for the full condition. about the print Fine portrait of Shima Sakon Kiyooki (Tomoyuki) receiving the valuable gift of a naginata from Hideyoshi. Kiyooki was a retainer to Tsutsui Junkei. Following Nobunaga's death, Junkei pulled his army back into the mountains and waited for a successor to be declared. After Hideyoshi crushed the Akechi family, Kiyooki was sent to negotiate his master's allegiance, the scene which is depicted here. About the Series Heroic Stories of the Taiheiki - Few other Japanese woodblock printmakers ever matched Kuniyoshi's detail and artistry in the genre of warrior prints. Published between 1847 - 1850, Kuniyoshi's fantastic series, "Heroic Stories of the Taiheiki (Grand Pacification)," presents fifty full-length portraits of famous warriors involved in the closing period of the civil wars in 16th century Japan, just before unification of the country. These dramatic images show these leaders engaged in battle or posing heroically in all their military glory. Kuniyoshi captures the unique aspects of each warrior, with texts above detailing their heroic careers. To evade the prohibitions enacted in 1804 against depicting historic figures who lived after 1573, each warrior has a pseudonym that would have been easily recognized by the viewers of the time. The actual name of the individual is provided in parentheses. These prints are a great opportunity to collect a part of Japanese history, dynamically documented by the leading master of warrior prints. The print is currently in Kiel, Germany