Ogata Gekkō · Gishi Shijūshichi Zu · 47 Rōnin · Chūshingura · Meiji - Japan - Meiji period (1868-1912)
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€ 5
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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 € 150 - € 250
 | €5 | |
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 | €4 | |
| €3 | |
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An original Meiji-period woodblock print by Ogata Gekkō depicts Sugaya Hannojō Masatoshi from the series *Gishi Shijūshichi Zu*.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
** Sugaya Hannojō Masatoshi, Mounted Guard and District Magistrate of Akō, from Gekkō’s celebrated series on the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers. . **
Artist: Ogata Gekkō 尾形月耕 (1859–1920)
Series: Gishi shijūshichi zu 義士四十七圖 (Pictures of the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers)
Title: Sugaya Hannojō Masatoshi 菅谷半之丞政利
Format: Ōban tate-e, approx. 36 × 24 cm
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and colour on paper
Date: Meiji period, 1896–1902 (to be confirmed from the margin colophon)
Publisher: Matsuki Heikichi 松木平吉 (margin colophon)
Signature: 月耕 (Gekkō), with the artist's seal
________________________________________________________
CONDITION
Very good colors and strong impression. The paper has minor Soiling/toning and an album backing. Please check the images!
-------------------------------------------------------
About the print
Gekkō’s cartouche gives Sugaya Hannojō’s name and his post: umamawari (mounted guard) with a stipend of 100 koku, and his age at death, 44. Japanese reference works add that he also served as district magistrate (kōri bugyō), an administrative post responsible for the rural villages of the Akō domain
After Lord Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku in 1701 and the domain was confiscated, Sugaya joined Ōishi Kuranosuke’s league of rōnin. Like his comrades he lived under an assumed identity in Edo while the vendetta was planned; his alias was Masaemon, posing as a townsman. He took part in the night raid on Kira Yoshinaka’s mansion on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month of Genroku 15 (early 1703 in the Western calendar). With the other retainers he was placed in the custody of a daimyō house and ordered to commit seppuku in the second month of 1703. His posthumous Buddhist name is Jinsui Ryūken Shinji, and he is buried with his lord and comrades at Sengaku-ji in Tokyo
His story lived on well beyond the Edo period. In the early twentieth century a tale titled “The Akō Rōnin Sugaya Hannojō” was among the Japanese stories published in the Chinese edition of the Taiwan Nichinichi Shinpō between 1905 and 1911
Gekkō’s series gives each retainer a single ōban sheet, published by Matsuki Heikichi from the mid-1890s into the early 1900s. With its dated colophon of 1902, this sheet belongs to the later run of the set
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.
** Sugaya Hannojō Masatoshi, Mounted Guard and District Magistrate of Akō, from Gekkō’s celebrated series on the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers. . **
Artist: Ogata Gekkō 尾形月耕 (1859–1920)
Series: Gishi shijūshichi zu 義士四十七圖 (Pictures of the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers)
Title: Sugaya Hannojō Masatoshi 菅谷半之丞政利
Format: Ōban tate-e, approx. 36 × 24 cm
Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and colour on paper
Date: Meiji period, 1896–1902 (to be confirmed from the margin colophon)
Publisher: Matsuki Heikichi 松木平吉 (margin colophon)
Signature: 月耕 (Gekkō), with the artist's seal
________________________________________________________
CONDITION
Very good colors and strong impression. The paper has minor Soiling/toning and an album backing. Please check the images!
-------------------------------------------------------
About the print
Gekkō’s cartouche gives Sugaya Hannojō’s name and his post: umamawari (mounted guard) with a stipend of 100 koku, and his age at death, 44. Japanese reference works add that he also served as district magistrate (kōri bugyō), an administrative post responsible for the rural villages of the Akō domain
After Lord Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku in 1701 and the domain was confiscated, Sugaya joined Ōishi Kuranosuke’s league of rōnin. Like his comrades he lived under an assumed identity in Edo while the vendetta was planned; his alias was Masaemon, posing as a townsman. He took part in the night raid on Kira Yoshinaka’s mansion on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month of Genroku 15 (early 1703 in the Western calendar). With the other retainers he was placed in the custody of a daimyō house and ordered to commit seppuku in the second month of 1703. His posthumous Buddhist name is Jinsui Ryūken Shinji, and he is buried with his lord and comrades at Sengaku-ji in Tokyo
His story lived on well beyond the Edo period. In the early twentieth century a tale titled “The Akō Rōnin Sugaya Hannojō” was among the Japanese stories published in the Chinese edition of the Taiwan Nichinichi Shinpō between 1905 and 1911
Gekkō’s series gives each retainer a single ōban sheet, published by Matsuki Heikichi from the mid-1890s into the early 1900s. With its dated colophon of 1902, this sheet belongs to the later run of the set
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
Meiji period (1868-1912)
Number of objects
1
Country of Origin
Japan
Attribution
Original
Title of artwork
Ogata Gekkō · Gishi Shijūshichi Zu · 47 Rōnin · Chūshingura · Meiji
Condition
Good condition
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Original/official
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