Minamoto no Yoshitsune Encounters the Ghost of Taira no Tomomori

Object Details

• Artist

  Utagawa Yoshikazu 歌川芳員 (active ca. 1850-1870)

• Label

  The Battle of Dannoura in 1185 was the final confrontation between the forces of the Taira and Minamoto families. Led by the young warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the naval battle ended in a decisive victory for the Minamoto. The opposing leader, Taira no Tomomori (1151-1185) committed suicide and his several thousand men were drowned, along with the child emperor Antoku. Later dramatizations and narratives, beginning with The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari) became widely familiar, and the historical story was embellished by legends like the one illustrated here. In this triptych, the Taira ghosts rise in the foreground among turbulent waves. Tomomori raises his sword as he awaits the approach of Yoshitsune's ship. The eerie scene is rendered in somber tones of blue and black. The influence of Kuniyoshi, the preeminent designer of warrior prints, can be seen in the dynamic renderings of the waves and in the fierce expressions of the warriors.

• 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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• Name

  Utagawa, Yoshikazu

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Wave, Art, Ghost, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Anne van Biema collection, Ocean, Ukiyo-e, Chuban

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints