"Ishikawa Heisuke" from Heroes of the Taiheiki 1867 Japanese Woodblock Print - Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904) - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)

Note: First image scanned for color accuracy; the last two taken by phone camera for better resolution.

Artist: Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833–1904)
Title: Ishikawa Heisuke
Series: Taiheiki Eiyūden – Biographies of the Heroes of the Taiheiki
Date: Japan, 1867 (late Edo period)
Publisher: Hirookaya Kōsuke (Kikujudō)
Format: Chūban, approx. 24 × 18 cm

Condition
Fine impression! Aside from some toning, there are no significant condition issues worth noting. These Taiheiki Eiyūden prints by Yoshiiku were intentionally produced on thin washi paper to achieve extremely precise registration. The trade-off is that this delicate paper is prone to color bleed, and fewer than 25% of surviving impressions show no bleeding at all—just like this one, as visible on the verso.

Description
A dynamic and violent composition from Yoshiiku’s Taiheiki Eiyūden, portraying the warrior Ishikawa Heisuke in the final moments of a desperate battle. Yoshiiku captures the intensity of hand-to-hand combat with remarkable detail: arrows pierce Heisuke’s armor, blood stains the ground, and — most strikingly — his sword has snapped in half, leaving only a jagged fragment in his hand. The broken blade serves as a dramatic symbol of last-stand heroism and is rendered with exceptional precision.

The figure lunges forward, gripping a tree trunk for balance as he continues fighting despite his injuries. The wild expression, windswept hair, and carefully patterned armor exemplify late-Edo warrior print aesthetics, combining theatrical energy with refined printing techniques. Yoshiiku’s mastery is particularly evident in the layering of armor textures and the fine linework on the shattered sword.

Created in 1867, this print belongs to one of the final great musha-e series of the period, produced on the cusp of the Meiji Restoration.