7th Sep, 2023 11:00
Asian Art Discoveries - Japanese Art
310
UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861): CHUSENKO TEITOKUSON (DING DESUN)
Sold for €2,340
including Buyer's Premium
By Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), signed
Japan, Tokyo, 1827 - 1830
Color woodblock print on paper. Depicting the warrior Chusenko Teitokuson, a skilled horseback warrior known for his expertise in wielding the hisa sword. During the battle of Kyūshū, an enemy ambushed his army in a nighttime raid. Tragically, Teitokuson was bitten by a venomous snake hidden in a bush near Renshūon while retaliating, the poison swiftly spread through his body, leading to a painful death. In this print he is depicted as he fiercely drives his sword into the massive snake with intense focus, he clenches his teeth and tightly grips the blade with both hands, ready to strike the creature's head. His resolute expression and muscular physique are accentuated by his elegant armor, the serpent twists and turns around the hero, its scales meticulously rendered to convey motion. From the series ‘The 108 heroes of the popular Suikoden (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyaku-hachi-nin no hitori). Publisher: Kagaya Kichibei. Kiwame censor seal. In a passepartout.
Condition: Good condition, fresh colors, and good impression. Small tears, material loss and worm holes at the left margin, now hardly noticeable due to touch-ups and the Japan paper backing.
Provenance: German private collection.
Dimensions: Sheet size 38 x 26 cm, Size incl. passepartout 50 x 35 cm
Literature comparison: A near identical print is in The British Museum, registration number 1906,1220,0.1299. Another is in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EA1971.46.
Auction result comparison: Compare to three related prints from the series 108 Heroes of the Popular Suikoden by Utagawa Kuniyoshi at Sotheby's London, in Fine Japanese Prints on 14 December 2021, lot 110, sold for GBP 30,240.
The 108 Heroes of the Popular Suikoden is a fantastic series based on the Chinese novel ‘The Water Margin’ (Suikoden in Japanese). It portrays a group of 108 rebels at Liangshan Marsh who protect the oppressed. Created between 1827-1830, this remarkable series brought Kuniyoshi great fame. The images showcase bold, colorful figures in dynamic action poses.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. The range of Kuniyoshi's subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, cats, and mythical animals. He is known for depictions of the battles of legendary samurai heroes. Kuniyoshi's work is held in the permanent collections of many museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, the Nasher Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Van Gogh Museum.
By Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), signed
Japan, Tokyo, 1827 - 1830
Color woodblock print on paper. Depicting the warrior Chusenko Teitokuson, a skilled horseback warrior known for his expertise in wielding the hisa sword. During the battle of Kyūshū, an enemy ambushed his army in a nighttime raid. Tragically, Teitokuson was bitten by a venomous snake hidden in a bush near Renshūon while retaliating, the poison swiftly spread through his body, leading to a painful death. In this print he is depicted as he fiercely drives his sword into the massive snake with intense focus, he clenches his teeth and tightly grips the blade with both hands, ready to strike the creature's head. His resolute expression and muscular physique are accentuated by his elegant armor, the serpent twists and turns around the hero, its scales meticulously rendered to convey motion. From the series ‘The 108 heroes of the popular Suikoden (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyaku-hachi-nin no hitori). Publisher: Kagaya Kichibei. Kiwame censor seal. In a passepartout.
Condition: Good condition, fresh colors, and good impression. Small tears, material loss and worm holes at the left margin, now hardly noticeable due to touch-ups and the Japan paper backing.
Provenance: German private collection.
Dimensions: Sheet size 38 x 26 cm, Size incl. passepartout 50 x 35 cm
Literature comparison: A near identical print is in The British Museum, registration number 1906,1220,0.1299. Another is in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EA1971.46.
Auction result comparison: Compare to three related prints from the series 108 Heroes of the Popular Suikoden by Utagawa Kuniyoshi at Sotheby's London, in Fine Japanese Prints on 14 December 2021, lot 110, sold for GBP 30,240.
The 108 Heroes of the Popular Suikoden is a fantastic series based on the Chinese novel ‘The Water Margin’ (Suikoden in Japanese). It portrays a group of 108 rebels at Liangshan Marsh who protect the oppressed. Created between 1827-1830, this remarkable series brought Kuniyoshi great fame. The images showcase bold, colorful figures in dynamic action poses.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. The range of Kuniyoshi's subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, cats, and mythical animals. He is known for depictions of the battles of legendary samurai heroes. Kuniyoshi's work is held in the permanent collections of many museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, the Nasher Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Van Gogh Museum.
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