Sugino Jūheiji Tsugifusa from the series Portraits of the Faithful Samurai of True Loyalty (Seichū gishi shōzō) 「杉野十平治次房」 　『誠忠義士肖像』

Object Details

• Artist

  Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1798-1861)

• Publisher

  Sumiyoshiya Masagoro 吉屋政五郎

• Block carver

  Yokokawa Takejiro (Hori Take)

• Label

  This print comes from a set illustrating the forty-seven loyal samurai who served Asano Naganori (1665-1701), lord of Ako, a domain in Harima Province (modern Hyogo Prefecture). The historic events that attracted public sympathy and inspired puppet and kabuki plays and print series began in 1701, when Asano was provoked to draw his sword in the shogun's castle during a quarrel with Kira Yoshinaka (d. 1703). For this violation of protocol, Asano was ordered to commit suicide, and his retainers became ronin. The forty-seven samurai waited until an appointed date nearly two years later when they planned to meet at Kira's residence and kill him to avenge their master's death; in the end they were ordered to commit suicide themselves.

  Here Sugino Juheiji Tsugifusa lifts a split curtain as he waits for his opportunity.

• 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)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  The Anne van Biema Collection

• Type

  Print

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1850s, 1680s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Yokokawa, Takejiro, Sumiyoshiya, Masagoro, Utagawa, Kuniyoshi

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Warrior, Art, Oban, Samurai, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Anne van Biema collection, Portraits, Ukiyo-e, Haiku

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints