Description
Polychrome woodblock print of the kuchi-e (口絵) type depicting Minamoto no Yoshiie (源義家), the famous samurai, also known as Hachimantaro (八幡太郎), who held the position of Commander-in-chief of the defense of the North (鎮守府将軍). Eldest son of Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (源頼義), he proved himself in battle against the Abe clan (安倍氏) in the Zenkunen (前九年の役) “Former Nine Years’ War” and against the Kiyohara clan (清原氏) in the Gosannen (後三年の役) “Later Three-Year War”, becoming a model of samurai skill and bravery.
The work, made in 1909 by the artist Kobori Tomoto (小堀鞆音), is taken from vol. 15 n. 6, special issue (増刊) of the month of April entitled “A Mirror of Stories of Valor” (講談武勇鑑), of Bungei Kurabu (文芸倶楽部), the famous literary magazine published from 1895 to 1933 by the Hakubunkan (博文館) publishing house.
The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the right signs of aging, a slight transposition of pigment in the upper left part, as well as a partial trimming of the margins, is in overall good condition.
