KUNIYOSHI • 47 RŌNIN NIGHT RAID • HORIBE YASUBEI vs. SHIMIZU IKKAKU • 1850s Japanese Woodblock Print - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)
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Selected by Giovanni Bottero
Holds a master’s in Japanese art history with over 10 years’ expertise in Asian art.
Estimate € 300 - € 500
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Original Edo-period Japanese woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a three-sheet Ōban tate-e triptych from 1856, titled KUNIYOSHI • 47 RŌNIN NIGHT RAID • HORIBE YASUBEI vs. SHIMIZU IKKAKU, sized 36 cm by 73 cm, in excellent condition with private collection provenance.
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Description from the seller
Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳)
Title: Gishi ningyō (義士人形), Figures of the Loyal Retainers
Subject: The rōnin fighting Kira's retainers during the night raid, with a half-dressed woman on the ground
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e)
Format: Ōban tate-e triptych, three sheets complete each approx 25*37cm
Date: 2nd month of Ansei 3 (1856)
Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
Signature: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga (一勇斎国芳画) on each sheet, with red paulownia (kiri) seal
Seals: Aratame and date seal (Dragon, 2nd month)
Named figures (cartouches): Sadō Shunsai (茶道春斎), Horibe Yasubei Taketsune (堀部安兵衛武庸), Tomimori Sukeemon (富森祐右衛門), Waku Hantayū (和久半太夫), Shimizu Ikkaku (清水一角)
_______________________________________________________________________________
CONDITION
Impression & Colours: A well registered impression across all three sheets, with the keyblock holding the fine work throughout — The colour is vivid and unfaded.
Paper: Excellent. Three separate clean sheets, each with the actor cartouches, signature, publisher's mark and seals present. Age-appropriate light toning to the paper; normal handling wear at the extreme edges.
____________________________________________________________
About the Print
On a winter night in early 1703, forty-seven former retainers of Lord Asano Naganori broke into the Edo mansion of Kira Yoshinaka, the official whose insult had driven their master to draw his sword in the shogun's castle and forfeit his life. This triptych takes us inside that raid. The cartouches name real participants, not the stage aliases of the Chūshingura plays. On the rōnin side are Horibe Yasubei, the most celebrated swordsman of the band, and Tomimori Sukeemon. Against them stand Kira's defenders: the tea master Shunsai, Waku Hantayū, and Shimizu Ikkaku, whose legendary last stand against the rōnin became a story in its own right. A half-dressed woman, roused from sleep and thrown to the floor, gives the scene its sense of sudden chaos inside a sleeping household.
The print dates from 1856, late in Kuniyoshi's career. That year Edo was gripped by a craze for iki-ningyō, life-size "living dolls" shown in exhibitions at Asakusa, and Kuniyoshi designed several "ningyō" series in response. The title Gishi ningyō places this triptych in that moment. The figures show Kuniyoshi working on the human body in a new way. Look at the eyes: each man has his own gaze and temperament, and the faces, while boldly drawn, clearly separate one character from the next. Shock, grim concentration and ferocity are all readable at a glance. Behind them, screens patterned with paulownia leaves and the lines of the tatami and ceiling beams pull the eye deep into the room, giving the composition real depth across all three sheets. The colours and paper are beautifully preserved, a museum-quality impression of a dramatic late work.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳)
Title: Gishi ningyō (義士人形), Figures of the Loyal Retainers
Subject: The rōnin fighting Kira's retainers during the night raid, with a half-dressed woman on the ground
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e)
Format: Ōban tate-e triptych, three sheets complete each approx 25*37cm
Date: 2nd month of Ansei 3 (1856)
Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
Signature: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga (一勇斎国芳画) on each sheet, with red paulownia (kiri) seal
Seals: Aratame and date seal (Dragon, 2nd month)
Named figures (cartouches): Sadō Shunsai (茶道春斎), Horibe Yasubei Taketsune (堀部安兵衛武庸), Tomimori Sukeemon (富森祐右衛門), Waku Hantayū (和久半太夫), Shimizu Ikkaku (清水一角)
_______________________________________________________________________________
CONDITION
Impression & Colours: A well registered impression across all three sheets, with the keyblock holding the fine work throughout — The colour is vivid and unfaded.
Paper: Excellent. Three separate clean sheets, each with the actor cartouches, signature, publisher's mark and seals present. Age-appropriate light toning to the paper; normal handling wear at the extreme edges.
____________________________________________________________
About the Print
On a winter night in early 1703, forty-seven former retainers of Lord Asano Naganori broke into the Edo mansion of Kira Yoshinaka, the official whose insult had driven their master to draw his sword in the shogun's castle and forfeit his life. This triptych takes us inside that raid. The cartouches name real participants, not the stage aliases of the Chūshingura plays. On the rōnin side are Horibe Yasubei, the most celebrated swordsman of the band, and Tomimori Sukeemon. Against them stand Kira's defenders: the tea master Shunsai, Waku Hantayū, and Shimizu Ikkaku, whose legendary last stand against the rōnin became a story in its own right. A half-dressed woman, roused from sleep and thrown to the floor, gives the scene its sense of sudden chaos inside a sleeping household.
The print dates from 1856, late in Kuniyoshi's career. That year Edo was gripped by a craze for iki-ningyō, life-size "living dolls" shown in exhibitions at Asakusa, and Kuniyoshi designed several "ningyō" series in response. The title Gishi ningyō places this triptych in that moment. The figures show Kuniyoshi working on the human body in a new way. Look at the eyes: each man has his own gaze and temperament, and the faces, while boldly drawn, clearly separate one character from the next. Shock, grim concentration and ferocity are all readable at a glance. Behind them, screens patterned with paulownia leaves and the lines of the tatami and ceiling beams pull the eye deep into the room, giving the composition real depth across all three sheets. The colours and paper are beautifully preserved, a museum-quality impression of a dramatic late work.
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Details
Dynastic Style/Period
Edo Period (1600-1868)
Country of Origin
Japan
Attribution
Original
Height
36 cm
Width
73 cm
Title of artwork
KUNIYOSHI • 47 RŌNIN NIGHT RAID • HORIBE YASUBEI vs. SHIMIZU IKKAKU • 1850s Japanese Woodblock Print
Condition
Excellent condition
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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