Untitled

Utagawa Yoshitsuru|Utagawa Kunisada|Utagawa Kuniyoshi|Utagawa Yoshitora|Utagawa Yoshikazu|Utagawa Yoshitsuna|Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide|Utagawa Yoshitsuya|Utagawa Yoshihide

19th century · Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

Nagao Kagetora was the birthname of Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578), one of the most famous warriors of Japan’s Warring States period. In the late 1540s, Kagetora, at only fifteen years of age, wrested control of the Nagao clan from his older brother Harukage. In this triptych, Kagetora appears on horseback at lower right as his troops march on his brother’s castle. A banner visible just to the left of his head bears the Chinese character 毘, the first character of the name of the Buddhist guardian deity Bishamonten, of whom Kagetora was a fervent devotee.

Artist

Utagawa Yoshitsuru|Utagawa Kunisada|Utagawa Kuniyoshi|Utagawa Yoshitora|Utagawa Yoshikazu|Utagawa Yoshitsuna|Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide|Utagawa Yoshitsuya|Utagawa Yoshihide

Date

19th century

Medium

Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Harold de Raasloff, 1918