太平記正清難戦之図|Masakiyo's Challenging Battle, from the series Taiheiki (Taiheiki, Masakiyo nansen no zu)

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

1866 · Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

This triptych pictures warriors caught up in an explosion. Cartouches identify them as Satō Masakiyo, on horseback at far right, and Shimura Masazō Katsutoyo, tossed upside down at left—both characters from the early medieval epic Taiheiki (Chronicle of great peace). In fact, these men are the historical figures Katō Kiyomasa (1562–1611) and Kimura Shigenari (1593–1615), allies of the leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598). The artist assigned them aliases to avoid censorship laws banning images of samurai who lived after end of the medieval period.

Artist

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Date

1866

Medium

Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2005