Title: The Loyal Retainers (Seichū Gishiden) – Mase Chūdayū Masaaki Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) Series: Seichū Gishiden (Chronicles of the Loyal Retainers) Period: Taishō period, early 20th century (reprint after the late Edo edition) Technique: Woodblock print (nishiki-e) on washi paper Size: Approximately 24 × 15 cm Condition: Very good colors and impression; minor aging consistent with the Taishō era; upper title cartouche and text panel omitted in this edition. Publisher: Unknown (reprint edition) A fine Taishō-period reprint of Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s renowned series Seichū Gishiden (“Chronicles of the Loyal Retainers”), originally published in the late Edo period. This print depicts the loyal retainer Mase Chūdayū Masaaki, one of the forty-seven rōnin, holding a bow in a moment of tension and resolve. Unlike the Edo original, this Taishō reprint omits the upper narrative panel, focusing the composition on the dramatic figure itself. Printed on traditional Japanese washi with vivid pigments and crisp lines, it reflects the continued admiration for Kuniyoshi’s dynamic warrior imagery during Japan’s early modern revival of woodblock printing. An impressive example of early 20th-century woodblock craftsmanship. Will be securely packed and shipped in a protective sleeve.