Huang Zhong, One of the Five Tiger Generals, from the series Five Colorful Banners

Object Details

• Artist

  Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞 (1786-1865)

• Label

  This print represents another of Kunisada's few warrior print designs. Series of beautiful women and especially of actors and kabuki performances were the major subjects for this prolific artist. Huang Zhong is a hero of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Chinese, Sanguo zhi yanyi; Japanese, Sangoku engi), a Chinese historical romance that was popular in the late Edo period. He is one of five generals who distinguished themselves in the period from 184 to 280, which witnessed the collapse of the Han dynasty and the division of China into three rival kingdoms. Huang Zhong served Liu Bei (d. 223), founder of the Shu Han dynasty (221-63). Kunisada's seal, "Hanabusa Ittai," links the artist to followers of the painter Hanabusa Itcho (1652-1724), whose work might have inspired Kunisada's designs for this series and a companion set of Japanese heroes not included in this collection.

• 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

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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• Name

  Utagawa, Kunisada

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Warrior, Art, Animals, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Nagaban, Japanese Art, Anne van Biema collection, Horses, Ukiyo-e, Bow

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints