The Military Tales of Han and Chu: Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty

Object Details

• Artist

  Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞 (1786-1865)

• Label

  Kunisada responded to the success of Kuniyoshi's first series based on The Water Margin with prints devoted to the Chinese heroes of the historical romance The Military Tales of Han and Chu (Chinese, Han-Chu juntan; Japanese, Kan-So gundan), which includes tales of the founding of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.). This print illustrates one of the tales that helped establish the legitimacy of the reign of the first emperor of the Han dynasty, Gaozu (Japanese, Koso), who had risen from commoner origins. Here he kills a snake, which is later revealed to have been a form assumed by the son of the White Emperor. Gaozu learns that the killer of the snake is known as the Red Emperor, a sign that he will succeed, since according to Chinese cosmology, red succeeds white, the color associated with the previous Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.E.).

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection (September 15, 2002 to January 9, 2003)

  Kunisada's World (September 30 to November 14,1993)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  The Anne van Biema Collection

• Type

  Print

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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• Name

  Utagawa, Kunisada

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Art, Oban, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Anne van Biema collection, Ukiyo-e, Kings and rulers, Dragon

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints