Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

1839-1892

Personalities of Recent Times: Saigo Takamori with His Dog
(Kinsei jinbutsu shi: Saigo Takamori)

signed Yoshitoshi with artist's seal Taiso, carver's seal Choko Enkatsu in in lower left corner, publisher's information on the left margin, Yamato shinbun sha (Yamato Shinbun Company), dated on the top margin, Meiji nijuichinen nigatsu nijuyonka (Meiji 21 [1888], February 24th)

oban tate-e 14 3/8 by 9 7/8 in., 36.5 by 25.1 cm

This portrait was published as a supplement for issue number 414 for the newspaper Yamato Shimbunsha. Yoshitoshi produced twenty designs for this supplement series that were issued between October 1886 and May 1888. The portraits are of Meiji era personalties including popular kabuki actors, a ranking courtesan, a sumo wrestler, and people from sensational news stories, as well as figures from history that were influential in shaping modern Japan, both long ago and recent, as is the case with this portrait of Saigo Takamori.

Saigo Takamori (1828-1877), popularly known as the 'Last Samurai,' led rebel forces against the Imperial regime during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. Leading up to and through the early periods of the Meiji Restoration, Takamori remained loyal to the pro-modernization forces. He was a commander in the Second Choshu Expedition in 1866, attempting to subdue a rebellious group of samurai who were resisting efforts at opening trade and modernize the military, and then again fought in the Boshin War of 1868-1869, leading imperialist forces of the new Meiji Regime against a group opposed to the Restoration.

After acting a Meiji bureaucrat for a short time, he retired to his home in Kagoshima, where a group of disenfranchised samurai would soon initiate the rebellion and convince Takamori to be their leader. The rebellion would be crushed between late January and September of 1877. The rebels stood little chance against the far larger and already westernizing military of the Imperial regime. Takamori himself would die at Shiroyama during the final battle of the war. Injured, he is said to have committed seppuku or to have succumbed to his wounds.

Published eleven years after his death, this portrait of Takamori in a rural setting suggests that Yoshitoshi is imagining the warrior in Kagoshima before he undertook the rebellion. Takamori was known to keep several dogs, his favorite being a floppy-eared foreign breed named Tsun. He presents an interesting combination of foreign and traditional fashion: short hair and bushy goatee, a collared button-down shirt with cuffs beneath his kimono and haori, black socks with geta, and completing the ensemble with a katana sword secured by his obi while carrying a gentleman's ivory-handled walking stick.

References:
Roger S. Keyes, Courage and Silence: A Study of the Life and Color Woodblock Prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: 1839-1892, 1983, p. 475, series 488, no. 17
Tokyo Metro Library, ref. 212-K001-414
Waseda University Theatre Museum, ref. 401-0382
(inv. no. 10-5328)

$750

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

1839-1892

Chronicle of the Conquest of Kagoshima: Officer Nozu Retrieves the National Flag During a Battle at the Mouth of the Takase River
(Kagoshima setoki no uchi: Takaseguchi kawadori no senso Nozu ko rentaiki o torikaesu zu)

signed oju Taiso Yoshitoshi, with publisher's date and address seal Meiji junen sangatsu jusanka; [Tokyo Nihonbashi] Kobunacho Sanchome 11-banchi, shuppanjin Kumagai Shoshichi (Meiji 10 [1877], March 13) of Ebisuya Shoshichi of Kinshodo

oban tate-e triptych 14 1/2 by 29 1/2 in., 36.7 by 75 cm

The Satsuma Rebellion was led by a group of disaffected samurai who had lost their social standing in the Meiji Restoration. Though the conflict lasted less than a year, it was a pivotal moment in Japan's westernization, and had a particularly strong impact on Yoshitoshi himself. Yoshitoshi was very interested in the rebellion and followed it closely, frequently depicting in woodblock prints.

In this scene, the Imperial Officer Mitchitsura Nozu has retrieved a fallen standard from the rebel samurai, turning the tide of a battle back to the Imperial forces. To his right is the Officer Shinohara Koka, while the figure off in the background to his left is identified as Major Yoshida (Yoshida Rikugun-Shosa). Officer Nozu (1841-1907) was a commander born in the Kagoshima Prefecture (then called the Satsuma domain). He started as a regular, fighting shogunal forces during the Meiji Restoration, and by the time of the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 had been promoted to chief of staff of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Nozu fights gallantly abroad his bucking horse, in what one can see is just a small part of the large pitched battle occurring deep into the background of the design. He would later serve as a commanding officer in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and a general during the subsequent Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), and died in retirement as a marquis in 1907.

Published:
Highlights of Japanese Printmaking: Part Five - Yoshitoshi, Scholten Japanese Art, New York, 2017, cat. no. 55

References:
Roger Keyes, Courage and Silence, 1983, p. 421, no. 351.1
Rotem Kowner, The A to Z of the Russo-Japanese War, 2006, p. 268 (re: Officer Nozu)
Robert Schaap, Appendix II in Yoshitoshi: Masterpieces from the Ed Fries Collection, 2011, p. 168, no. 103 (illus.)
British Museum, accession no. 1983,0701,0.12.1-3
(inv. no. 10-4499)

$1,800

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

1839-1892

A Complete Chronicle of the Conquest of Kagoshima: Illustration of the Navy Landing at Sukuchi Village
(Kagoshima seito zenki no uchi: Kaigun Sukuchi-mura joriku no zu)

printed with burnishing on the black boats and a dusting of mica in the dark area near the top edge and in the dark brown bokashi on the rocks in the right sheet; signed oju Taiso Yoshitoshi, the publisher's cartouche of Tsunashima Kamekichi (Tsujiokaya Kamekichi) dated shogatsu nijusanka (April 23rd) and priced roku sen (6 sen), ca. 1877

oban tate-e 14 1/2 by 29 1/2 in., 36.7 by 74.8 cm

One of the most intense battles during the Satsuma Rebellion on Kagoshima began on March 3, 1877 at Tabaruzaka Hill. The rebel forces of !5,000 were eventually hopelessly outnumbered by the Imperial troops which rose to 90,000. Both sides suffered heavy losses, with 4,000 wounded or dead on each side. This composition likely depicts the night landing of Imperial reinforcements behind the rebel lines during the final assualt which began on March 19th, forceing the Satsuma army into a retreat from their seige of Kumamoto castle.

Reference:
Roger S. Keyes, Courage and Silence, 1983, p. 422, no. 360
Waseda University Theatre Museum, 201-3470, 201-3471, 201-3472
(inv. no. C-3008)

$1,800

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Picture of the Naval Battle of Pungdo in Korea
(Chosen Hoto kaisen no zu)

signed Kiyochika with artist's seals Kiyo and Chika, dated within the publisher's cartouche, Meiji nijunananen, hachigatsu (Meiji 27 [1894], August), followed by information for publisher Inoue Kichijiro, 1894

oban tate-e triptych 14 3/4 by 30 1/8 in., 37.5 by 76.4 cm

The declaration of war with China in 1894 stimulated a burst of productivity in the woodblock print market, with the artist Kobayashi Kiyochika leading the charge. This print depicts the first outbreak of naval hostilities between Japan and China in July 1894 off the coast of Asan. On July 23rd, King Gojong of Korea was deposed by Japanese forces, and replaced by his father, in retaliation for violating an existing treaty with Japan by requesting military assistance from the Qing government to put down a peasant uprising. In anticipation of a response from the Chinese, the Japanese navy began patrolling the area to prevent additional troops movements. On July 25th, the Japanese encountered the Chinese gunboat Guangyi and cruiser Jiyuan on their way to escort the Kowshing, a chartered British steamer carrying Chinese soldiers and supplies. When the Chinese ships did not return a standard international maritime salute, the Japanese navy began firing on the ships. Kiyochika depicts the Guangyi consumed by flames in a fire that was set by her crew to prevent the Japanese from salvaging the wreck. The surviving sailors are seen in the foreground, rowing their way to the shore and watching, no doubt in horror, at the conflagration of their ship while the battle continues on the horizon and the Japanese give chase to the escaping Jiyuan. Known as the Battle of Pungdo due to its proximity to Pungdo Island (Japanese: Hoto) in the Bay of Asan, it was the first decisive naval battle of the First Sino-Japanese War, although it took place before war was officially declared on August 1st.

References:
Nathan Chaikin, The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), 1983, pp. 57-59 (re: Battle of Pungdo), p. 62, cat. no. 15, photo p. 126
Hideki Kikkawa, Kobayashi Kiyochika: Studies in Light and Shadow of the Westernization of Japan, Seigensha Art Publishing, 2015, p.145, no. 218
Rhiannon Paget, in Philip K. Hu, ed., et al., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, p. 109, no. 21, accession no. 120:2010a-c
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 42, no. 2, accession no.2015.11.12
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 2000.410a-c
New York Public Library, no. 101974.a-c
(inv. no. C-3016)

$1,300

unknown (Kanazawa publisher)

Picture of the Great Victory of the Japanese Fleet in the Korean Sea
(Nippon kantai kankai nite dai shori no zu)

unsigned by the artist, dated on the left margin, Meiji nijuyonnen, hachigatsu (Meiji 27 [1894], August), followed by the publisher information for Yoshioka Hisaichi, located in Kanazawa, 1894

oban tate-e diptych 14 1/8 by 19 5/8 in., 36 by 49.8 cm

This print depicts a scene from the Battle of Pungdo, which took place on July 25, 1894 off the coast of Asan near Pungdo Island, where three Japanese warships, the Yoshino, Naniwa, and Akitsushima, were sent to intercept Chinese transports, including the Kowshing, a chartered British ship which was ferrying Chinese troops to Asan, with the intended protection of two Chinese warships, the Guangyi and the Jiyuan. The Guangyi was quickly disabled, ran ashore and was destroyed by a fire. The Jiyuan was likewise disabled but managed to escape and limp back to Weihaiwei for repairs, although her Captain Fong was blamed for his failure and condemned to death for withdrawing from the battle.

Nearby, the Kowshing, captained by Englishman Thomas Ryder Galsworthy, was unaware of the nearby engagement at Pungdo. Although he had yet to rendezvous with the Chinese escort ships and was left vulnerable, he beleived that that as a temporarily chartered British ship he was not in danger. When the three Japanese warships approached he was not initially alarmed, and expected they were in pursuit of the fleeing Jiyuan. Then the Naniwa fired warning shots and signaled "Heave to, or take the consequences." When a landing party from the Naniwa confirmed that the ship was British-owned, they offered to let the Kowshing follow the Naniwa to port. Although they protested their neutrality, the British crew agreed to comply and prepared to depart, but the Chinese generals threatened to kill them if they surrendered. Captain Galsworthy signaled to the Japanese that they were not permitted to leave, and the Naniwa fired a torpedo which missed. Galsworthy and his crew jumped overboard and tried to swim to shore under fire from the Chinese. Only Galsworthy and two crewmen out of forty-five were rescued by the Japanese who then continued to fire upon the Kowshing, quickly sinking it. Approximately 800 Chinese troops were lost, although some 300 survived by swimming to nearby islands.

The gunboat at the center of the composition is identified as the Naniwa, the ship foundering to the right must be the Kowshing. At left we see officers and armed soldiers on the deck of the Akitsushima. This extremely rare diptych was produced by a hitherto unknown publisher located in Kanazawa, a city with only three other recorded publishing houses. However, the publisher's obscurity, and the artist's unknown identity, have no bearing on this accomplished design and high-quality printing.

Reference:
Nathan Caikin, The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), 1983, pp. 57-59 (re: The Kowshing Affair)
(inv. no. C-3009)

SOLD

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Picture of the Saikyo-maru's Hard Fight off Haiyang Island
(Kaiyoto oki Saikyo-maru funsen no zu)

the title along the top margin of the center sheet, signed Kiyochika with two artist's seals, the left margin dated Meiji nijunananen, jugatsu (Meiji 27 [1894], October), followed by name and address of publisher Ayabe Hanjiro, and carver's seal, Sugiyama Eikichi, 1894

oban tate-e triptych 14 3/4 by 30 in., 37.4 by 76.1 cm

The Saikyo Maru was a cargo ship that was requisitioned and armed by the Japanese navy in 1894 and famously participated in the battle of the Yalu River (also known as the Battle of Haiyang Island) on September 17th under the command of Captain John Wilson (born Frederick Walgren, Swedish, 1851-1899) while carrying the Viscount Admiral Kabayama Sukenori, chief of the Naval General Staff of Japan. The Saikyo Maru was hit by four 12 inch shells and attacked by torpedo boats. Although she lost the protection of the main Japanese fleet during the battle, she managed to avoid sinking and escape due to her speed and Captain Wilson's capable command. The story of Captain Wilson's expert maneuvering became famous among Japanese naval lore.

References:
Nathan Chaikin, The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), 1983, pp. 75-80 (re: Battle of the Yalu River)
Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), Vienna, inventory nos. KI 14514-8-1, KI 14514-8-2, KI 14514-8-3
Saint Louis Art Museum, object no. 404:2010a-c
(inv. no. C-3018)

$1,500

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Our Field Artillery Attacks the Enemy Camp at Jiuliancheng
(Waga yasen hohei Kyurenjo bakuei kogeki)

titled at the top edge of the center sheet, Waga yasen hohei Kyurenjo bakuei kogeki, signed in lower left corner of left sheet,Kiyochika, with artist's seal, with carver's seal Hori Yata, dated in red on the left margin of the left sheet, Meiji nijushichinen juchigatsu juichi ka (Meiji 27, November 11), followed by publisher information and address of Inoue Kichijiro (Teikado), 1894

oban tate-e 14 3/4 by 28 7/8 in., 37.5 by 73.3 cm

After their defeat at Pyeongyang, the Chinese withdrew to the Yalu River on the border between Korea and Manchuria. The Chinese established themselves at the walled town of Jiuliancheng and fortified the riverbanks for nearly 10 miles in either direction with approximately 23,000 troops. From the Korean side of the river, the Japanese planned a night attack on October 24, crossing the river via a pontoon bridge they had moved into position in front of the Chinese fortifications, only to discover that the Chinese had all but abandoned the position the previous evening, leaving only a rear guard that was easily subdued. The nearby district capital of Dandong was seized the following day without resistance, leaving the Japanese to set their sights on the strategically important Port Arthur.

This print is one of Kiyochika's most evocative senso-e (war prints) depicting a scene almost completely enveloped in dark heavy bands of rain, slicing and striating our view. Although Kiyochika had a unique personal history with experience in real battles during the Boshin War, neither he, nor his colleagues, would have seen the sheer power of the pyrotechnic exposures that were employed during the Sino-Japanese War. The only colorful illumination in this otherwise dark rendition is the artillery fire, pulsating yellow and orange in the distance. In this powerful composition Kiyochika focuses on the pathos of the soldiers manning the cannon to the left and their mounted commander in the center panel, his horse bowing his head in the pouring rain.

References:
Exhibition of Kobayashi Kiyochika, Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, 1998, no. 111
Hideki Kikkawa, Kobayashi Kiyochika: Studies in Light and Shadow of the Westernization of Japan, Seigensha Art Publishing, 2015, p. 145, no. 217
Kobayashi Kiyochika: A Retrospective, Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, 2016, p. 142, no. 228
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 109, no. 51
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 2000.411a-c
(inv. no. C-3022)

SOLD

Watanabe Nobukazu

1874-1944

Our Cavalry Scouting the Battery at Port Arthur from Tucheng
(Waga kihei Dojo shieki yori Ryojun hodai teisatsu no zu)

signed oju Yosai Nobukazu hitsu with two artist's seals, Hasegawa Sonokichi's cat-shaped publisher cartouche with date Meiji nijunananen juichi gatsu nijuyonka (Meiji 27 [1894], November 24), 1894

oban tate-e triptych 14 3/4 by 29 3/8 in., 37.5 by 74.6 cm

In Flash of Light, Fog of War, Bailey draws attention to how Western art conventions and techniques in photography and lithography influenced the rendering of moonlight in wartime prints. While the moon has always been an important element in Japanese art, in the Meiji era, prints artists endeavored to capture the way moonlight actually cast light and shadows. In examples such as this print, entire compositions are bathed in shades of grey for a closer replication of a moonlit view.

References:
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 73, no. 28, object no. 2015.11.86a-ca-c
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 2000.443a-c
(inv. no. C-3011)

$900

Adachi Ginko

b. 1853, active ca. 1870-1

Fierce Battle at the Jinzhou Fortress
(Kinshujo gekisen)

signed Ginko with artist's seal Ikko Mucho, publisher's cartouche of Fukuda Kumajiro with date, Meiji nijuhachinen, - gatsu, - ka (Meiji 28 [1895], - month, - day)

oban tate-e triptych 14 3/4 by 29 3/4 in., 37.6 by 75.5 cm

The Jinzhou fortress town was an important stronghold for the Chinese in their defense of Port Arthur. The fortress was heavily armed and enclosed with thirty-foot walls, with a massive fifty foot high iron-clad gate on the northern side. On November 6, 1894 at 9:00 am, the Japanese unleashed a barrage from thirty-six cannons on the town, while the Chinese responded with a battery from Krupp guns. After nearly an hour, the brutal exchange was halted by the successful bombing of the gate by the young army engineer, Private First Class Onoguchi Tokuji.

References:
New York Public Library, object no. 101967.a-c
(inv. no. C-3049)

$750

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Mirror of Famous Army and Navy Men: Engineer Lieutenant Onoguchi Tokuji
(Rikukai gunjin komyo kagami: Onoguchi Tokuji)

signed Kiyochika with artist's seal, dated on left margin, Meiji nijuhachinen ichigatsu (Meiji 28 [1895], January), followed by the publisher details of Inoue Kichijiro (active late 19th cent), 1895

oban tate-e 14 by 9 1/4 in., 35.7 by 23.5 cm

Private First Class Onoguchi Tokuji was a young army engineer who led an ordnance team in the successful blasting of two sets of iron-plated gates at the northern entrace of the Jinzhou Fortress which was an important Chinese stronghold in defense of the Liaodong Peninsula. With seemingly impenatrable thirty-foot high brick walls, Onoguchi's daring mission on November 6, 1894, became a favorite subject of numerous woodlbock prints, emphasizing the determined boy hero's youth and valour.

References:
Rhiannon Paget, in Hu, et al., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, p. 134 (re: Onoguchi)
Ackland Art Museum, object no. 2014.40.7
Saint Louis Art Museum, object no. 241:2010
(inv. no. C-3032)

$700

Taguchi Beisaku

1864-1903

Illustration of Scouts from the First Army Reconnoitering at Motianling
(Dai-ichi-gun no sekko Matenrei tanken no zu)

the title along the top margin of the center sheet, Dai-ichi-gun no sekko Matanrei tanken no zu, dated and signed Meiji kinoe ushi moto (1894, early winter), Beisaku sei, with artist's block carver's seal Hori Yata (Watanabe Yataro, 1850-1913), dated again on the left margin, Meiji nijunananen, junigatsu (Meiji 27 [1894], December) with publisher's information of Inoue Kichijiro, 1894

oban tate-e triptych 14 3/4 by 29 1/2 in., 37.5 by 74.9 cm

Two Japanese scouts pause in a forest as they search for Chinese troops, With a muted palette of pale orange leaves on the trees, soft brown and green ground, and the background blurred with mist, the setting seems eerily quiet. One soldier stands near a waters edge, leaning ever-so-slightly forward as though he is listening intently. His fellow-scout waits at a distance, holding the horses back. In Conflicts of Interest, Philip Hu describes this composition as one of the most beautiful Sino-Japanese war prints and arguably one of the artist's most successful works.

References:
Louise E. Virgin, Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodblock Prints from the Meiji Era, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2001, p. 92, no. 44, accession no. 2000.53a-c
Philip K. Hu, ed., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, p. 138, no. 45, accession no. 125:2010a-c
(inv. no. C-3013)

$1,600

Taguchi Beisaku

1864-1903

Bizarre-looking Manchurian Horsemen on an Expedition to Observe the Japanese Camp in the Distance Near Caohekou
(Sokako fukin Nichijin enbo Manshu kihei iso shutsujin no zu)

the title on the top margin of the center sheet, Sokako fukin Nichijin enbo Manshu kihei iso shutsujin no zu, signed Beisaku with artist's seal Saku, block carver's seal Hori Yata (Watanabe Yataro, 1850-1913), printer's seal Suri Nakajima, dated on the left margin, Meiji nijuhachinen, ichigatsu (Meiji 28 [1895], January), publisher's information for Mizuno Asajiro, 1895

oban tate-e 14 3/4 by 29 3/4 in., 37.4 by 75.7 cm

Beginning in early November 1894, the Fifth Division of the Japanese army advanced north and eastward into southern Manchuria, encountering little resistance from the Chinese army until November 9th when Japanese soldiers on reconnaissance were met with fierce Manchurian cavalry who forced the Japanese to withdraw to the southeast.

While this impression is clearly dated January 1895, the impression in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum is dated February 1995. The change in date may be explained by a correction to the alignment of the background blocks on the left sheet which presumably necessitated new approval from the authorities to publish the print.

References:
Louise E. Virgin, Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodblock Prints from the Meiji Era, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2001, p. 93, no. 45, accession no. 2000.255a-c (date trimmed off)
Philip K. Hu, ed., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, p. 139, no. 46, accession no. 116:2010a-c (dated February 1894)
(inv. no. C-3014)

$800

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Night Patrol in the Snow near Niu-chuang
(Gyuso fukin setsuya no sekko)

embellished with a dusting of mica overall and gofun snow; signed Kiyochika with two artist's seals, published by Matsunaga Sakujiro in December 1894

oban tate-e triptych 14 1/8 by 27 5/8 in., 35.8 by 70.3 cm

After their defeat at Pyeongyang in mid-September, the Chinese withdrew to the Yalu River on the border between Korea and Manchuria. The Japanese pursued across the river in October, and continued to advance into Manchuria as the winter set in. This print depicts three Japanese scouts on horses struggling in blinding snow in a forest near the Manchurian city of Niu-chuang. A master of composition, Kiyochika excelled at designing war prints that were as lyrical as they were heroic. In this case, rather than doing battle with the enemy, the scouts battle the brutal cold in the wind and snow.

References:
Henry D. Smith II, Kiyo-Chika: Artist of Meiji Japan, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1988, p. 89, no 98
Kobayashi Kiyochika: A Retrospective, Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, 2016, pp. 147-148, no. 232
Harvard Art Museum, accession no. 1944.5.22
Rhode Island School of Design Museum, object no. 1998.72.2
Saint Louis Art Museum, object no. 127:2010a-c
(inv. no. C-3023)

SOLD

Mizuno Toshikata

1866-1908

Picture of Seven Brave Men of the Navy Suicide Landing Mission Make an Advance Approach Near Weihaiwei
(Okeru Ikaiei fukin waga kaigun rikusentai kesshitai nana yushi senpo joriku no zu)

embellished with lavishly flecked gofun; signed oju Toshikata with artist's seal Toshikata, dated within Akiyama Buemon's publisher cartouche, Meiji nijuhachinen sangatsu (Meiji 28 [1895], March)

oban tate-e triptych 14 by 27 7/8 in., 35.5 by 70.8 cm

This scene is likely inspired by the story from late January 1895 of the advance party from the Japanese cruiser, the Yaeyama, led by Captain Ozawa, who with only six other men during a relentless snowstorm landed a small rowboat on a beach near the fort city of Yungcheng. The seven men captured four artillery guns positioned on the beach which was hindering troop landing in preparation for the assault on the naval base Weihaiwei, which was approximately thirty-seven miles away by land. Toshikata depicts the men after they have secured the beachhead, undaunted, pressing on through the brutal wind and cold to capture the fort.

References:
Nathan Chaikin, The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), 1983, pp. 98-101 (re: Weihaiwei Campaign), cat. nos. 80 and 81, color photos pp. 191-192
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 122, no. 60, object no. 2014.40.80a-c
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, accession no. S2003.8.1485
Musee Guimet, Paris, work no. MA1891.24

SOLD

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Our Troops Take Rongcheng Bay and Make a Landing
(Waga gun Eijowan o senryo shi joriku suru no zu)

the title in the upper right corner of the right sheet, signed Kiyochika with artist's seal Kobayashi Kiyochika, dated on the left margin,Meiji nijuhachinen, ichigatsu(Meiji 28 [1895], January), with name and address of publisher Matsuki Heikichi of Daikokuya, 1895

oban tate-e triptych 14 5/8 by 29 1/2 in., 37.1 by 74.9 cm

After the fall of Port Arthur in November 1894, the Chinese Beiyang Fleet withdrew to their naval base at Weihaiwei on the Shadong Peninsula. From January 20th to the 22nd of 1895, the Japanese Second Army landed troops nearby at Rongcheng Bay to begin an assault on Port Arthur. The image of the struggling Chinese sailor washed up on the rocks in the lower right corner seems to be Kiyochika's not-too-subtle portent of the collective fate of the enemy.

References:
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession nos. 2000.12a-c, 2000.415a-c
New York Public Library, no. 101990.a-c
Waseda University Theatre Museum, nos. 201-3568, 20135-69, 201-3570
(inv. no. C-3019)

$1,200

Shinohara Kiyooki

active ca. 1895-1904

Bivouac after the Landing at Rongcheng Bay
(Eijowan joriku go no roei)

signed Kiyooki with artist's seal, dated on the left margin, Meiji nijuhachi nen (Meiji 27 [1895]), with name and address of publisher Matsunaga Sakujiro, 1895

oban tate-e triptych 14 5/8 by 29 1/4 in., 37.2 by 74.3 cm

After completing the landing of Japanese forces at Rongcheng Bay on the Shandong Peninsula on January 22, 1895, the troops departed four days later on January 26th for a difficult march to the Chinese naval base of Weihaiwei, which eventually fell to the Japanese on February 12th.

Reference:
Saint Louis Art Museum, object no. 211:2010a-c
(inv. no. C-3026)

$900

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Illustration of the Landing and Advance to Weihaiwei
(Ikaiei joriku shingun no zu)

signed on right sheet, Kiyochika, with artist's seal Kiyochika, dated on the left margin, Meiji nijuhachinen - gatsu- ka (Meiji 8 [1895], - month, - day, followed by the publisher's cartouche of Takekawa Seikichi (Sawamuraya Seikichi of Seieido), ca. 1895

oban tate-e triptych 14 3/4 by 29 3/4 in., 37.6 by 75.5 cm

On January 20th of 1895, Japanese troops began to land at Rongcheng Bay on the Shandong Peninsula near the naval base of Weihaiwei where the Chinese Navy had regrouped after the fall of Port Arthur in November of 1894. They faced a difficult journey in harsh weather over snow-covered roads to lay siege to the Chinese. Kiyochika illustrates a Japanese commander on horseback, with two officers standing at attention to his left and right, and the background filled with a line of soldiers in formation and ready to begin their march. The snow settles in clumps on the horse's protective blanket and on every available surface of the officer's great coats (lined with fur). The troops in the background are barely visible through the blur of grey and white snowflakes, their feet lost in the drifts and fog.

References:
Nathan Chaikin, The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), 1983, pp. 98-101 (re: Weihaiwei Campaign), cat. no. 82, color photo p. 193
Louise E. Virgin, et. al., Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodbock Prints from the Meiji Era, 1868-1912, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2001, p. 103, cat. no. 55
Philip K. Hu, ed., et al., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, p. 145, no. 51
Art Institute of Chicago
Harvard Art Museum, object no. 1944.5.6
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 68.805-7
New York Public Library, no. 101983a-c
Saint Louis Art Museum, object no. 216:2010a-c
Waseda University, nos. 201-3596, 201-3597
(inv. no. C-3025)

$1,500

Taguchi Beisaku

1864-1903

Picture of Our Officer Single-Handedly Scouting Out Enemy Territory Braving the Heavy Snow
(Oyuki o okashite waga shoko tanshin tekichi o teisatsu no zu)

the title along the top margin of the center sheet, signed Beisaku, with artist's seal Beisaku, block carver's seal Hori Yata (Watanabe Yataro, 1850-1913), printer's seal Suri Nakajima, dated on the left margin, Meiji nijuhachinen, ichigatsu (Meiji 2 [1895], January) with publisher's information of Mizuno Asajiro, 1895

oban tate-e triptych 14 7/8 by 30 in., 37.7 by 76.3 cm

References:
Saint Louis Art Museum, accession no. 132:2010a-c

(inv. no. C-3015)

$1,800

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Scene of the Attack on the Land-based Battery at Weihaiwei
(Ikaiei rikujo hodai kogeki no kokei)

the title at the top of the middle sheet, signed Kiyochika (discreetly on the tree trunk in the left sheet), dated within the publisher's cartouche of Fukuda Kumajiro, Meiji nijuhachinen, nigatsu (Meiji 28 [1895], February)

oban tate-e triptych 14 by 27 5/8 in., 35.7 by 70.3 cm

References:
Louise E. Virgin, Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodblock Prints from the Meiji Era, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2001, p. 104, no. 56
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 62, no. 17, object no. 2014.40.36a-c
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession nos. 2000.254a-c, and 2016.1587
New York Public Library, 101979.a-c
Saint Louis Art Museum, object no. 122:2010a-c
(inv. no. C-3021)

SOLD

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Braving the Snow, Our Troops Capture the Stronghold at Weihaiwei
(Yuki o okashite, waga gun Ikaiei no kenrui o nuku zu)

signed Kiyochika at right with artist's seal Kobayashi Kiyochika, dated on the left margin Meiji nijuhachinen, nigatsu (Meiji 28 [1895}, February), followed by publisher's name and address of Matsuki Heikichi of Daikokuya, 1895

oban tate-e triptych 14 5/8 by 29 5/8 in., 37.2 by 75.4 cm

References:
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 117,no. 55, object no. 2014.40.38a-b
British Museum, registration no. 1941,0208,0.22.1-3
Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, accession no. 1980.2485A
Harvard Art Museum, object no. 1944.5.7
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession nos. 21.1780-2, 2000.252a-c, RES.23.270-2
(inv. no. C-3024)

SOLD

Yoshu Chikanobu

1838-1912

First Lieutenant Morinaga's Hard Fight during the Sino-Japanese War
((Nisshin senso Morinaga chui no funsen))

embellished with gofun snow; signed Yoshu Chikanobu with red artist's seal, publisher's cartouche of Fukuda Kumajiro with date Meiji nihachinen sangatsu (Meiji 28 [1895] March)

oban tate-e 14 3/4 by 29 5/8 in., 37.5 by 75.4 cm

Born Hashimoto Naoyoshi, Chikanobu was a retainer of the Sakakibara clan of the Takada Domain in Echigo. After the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, he joined the Shogitai, an elite samurai infantry loyal to the shogunate, and fought against the newly formed Imperial government at the Battle of Ueno on July 4, 1868, which nearly wiped out the Shogitai. Along with the remaining Shogitai forces, Chikanobu then joined up with the rebels of the Ezo Republic (loyal to the Tokugawa) in the northern island of Hokkaido where they fought the Imperial forces in the Battle of Hakodate. After the Ezo were defeated in 1869, Chikanobu was remanded back to the authorities in the Takada Domain in Echigo. Six years later in 1875 he traveled to Tokyo to try to make a career for himself as an artist. He studied with a student of Keisai Eisen, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, and Utagawa Kunisada. Although he is most commonly associated with images of beautiful women, he had a prolific career, producing images in a variety of genres including war prints.

References:
Nathan Chaikin, The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), 1983, pp. 89-97 (re: The Manchurian Campaign), cat. no. 76, color photo p. 187
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 118, no. 56, object no. 2014.40.57a-c
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, accession no. S2003.8.2627(without gofun snow)
(inv. no. C-3012)

$1,100

Kobayashi Kiyochika

1847-1915

Our Elite Forces Capturing the Pescadores Islands in Taiwan
(Seiei naru waga gun Taiwan Houkoto senryo suru no zu)

signed on left sheet, Kiyochika, with artist's seal Kiyo, dated on the left margin of the left sheet, Meiji nijushichinen, junigatsu (Meiji 27 [1894] December), followed by the address of the publisher Matsuki Heikichi V (1870-2931, of Daikokuya), this version issued ca. March 1895

oban tate-e triptych 14 by 27 5/8 in., 35.6 by 70.3 cm

Although this design was initially issued in December 1894 without a title, the subject is identifiable because Kiyochika used nearly the same composition in a circular cartouche on a sugoroku board game in December of 1894 which is identified as Fenghuangcheng, a riverside fortress which the Chinese evacuated and set fire to on October 29-30, 1894 as they retreated out of Korea across the Yalu River into Manchuria. The print was then reissued with a new title when the Japanese began their invasion of Taiwan, starting with the Pescadores Islands in March of 1895.

References:
Louise E. Virgin, et. al., Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodbock Prints from the Meiji Era, 1868-1912, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2001, p. 107, cat. no. 58, accession no. RES23.264-6 (without title)
Rhiannon Paget, in Hu, et al., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, p. 154. no. 57 and p. 172, no. 68 (suguroku game with Fenghuangcheng image)
New York Public Library, Donald Keene Collection, 101989a-c
Fine Arts Museum of San Franciscom accession no. 1984.1.85 (with title)
Harvard Art Museum, object no. 1944.5.2 (without title)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession nos. RES23.264-6 (without title), and 2000.422a-c (with title)
(inv. no. C-3020)

$1,800

Eishu

active ca. 1895

Outbreak of War Between Japan and Qing: Picture of the Attack of Tianzhuangtai
(Nisshin kaise: Denshodai kogeki no zu)

the wind and snow highlighted with printed bands and splattered gofun; signed Eishu ga with artist's seal Eishu, dated on the left margin, Meiji nijuhachinen gogatsu juka insatsu (Meiji 28 [1895], May 10, printed), followed by publisher information for Hasegawa Kuminosuke, 1895

oban tate-e triptych 14 5/8 by 29 1/8 in., 37 by 73.9 cm

This exceedingly rare triptych is one of only three published by Hasegawa Kuminosuke by an artist using the name Eishu. Kuminosuke published only at least nine Sino-Japanese war tirptychs, three by Eishu, between 1894 and 1895, and then disappeared from the field. Eishu is even more mysterious; with only three designs recorded with this signature, there is virtually nothing known about this artist. However, considering the confidence of this composition it seems possible that the artist simply used this go (art name) for his war prints, and then after the war moved on to a new name which may well be known to posterity.
(inv. no. C-3050)

SOLD

Utagawa Kokunimasa

1874-1944

Great Victory of the Imperial Navy in the Russo-Japanese Naval Battle at Port Arthur - Hurrah!
(Nichiro Ryojun-ko kaisen teikoku kaigun dai shori, banzai)

signed Kokunimasa with artist's flower seal, carver's seal of Watanabe Takisaburo (Eizo III), published by Fukuda Kumajiro in February 1904

oban tate-e hexaptych 13 3/4 by 54 7/8 in., 35 by 139.3 cm

This print depicts the events related to the outbreak of war with Russia on February 8, 1904, which began with a surprise attack by a Japanese torpedo boat destroyer on Russian ships at Port Arthur which resulted in heavy damages to Russia's two largest battleships, the Tsesarevich and Retvizan, and a cruiser Pallada. The title cartouche on the far-right sheet celebrates: Great Victory of the Imperial Navy in the Russo-Japanese Naval Battle at Port Arthur - Hurrah! (Banzai!). The white horizontal cartouche on the next sheet over lists the Japanese Imperial Fleet (Teikoku kantai), and the other white cartouche three more sheets to the left lists the Russian Fleet (Rokoku kantai). The Russian Fleet is separated into two categories from right to left starting with 7 battleships (sentokan), 5 armored cruisers (soko jun'yokan), 10 cruisers (jun'yokan) and then the 3 that were overtaken or sunk (hakai chinbotsu su).

One of the challenges of designing woodblock prints as reportage of wartime events is conveying a sense of excitement from naval battles when engagements take place over great distances, rather than the close quarters of hand-to-hand combat on a battlefield (particularly that of sword-wielding warriors of traditional Japan). Kokunimasa was one of the few artists that were able to produce dynamic and coherent compositions of battles from both the First Sino Japanese War and for the Russo-Japanese War, which also represented a considerable investment on behalf of the publisher. Even more impressive is that the artist and publisher were able to design and produce this grand panoramic work and have it approved for publication within the same month as the opening salvos at the Battle of Port Arthur on February 8th.

References:
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, pp. 100-101, no. 43, object no. 2016.42.1a-f
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 2000.380.10a-f (for a similar six-panel composition published by Fukuda Kumajiro in 1894)
New York Public Library, object no. 108453.a-f
(inv. no. C-3030)

$2,400

Ogata Gessan

1887-1967

A Conflict on the Yalu River
(Oryuokkojo no shototsu)

signed Gessan with artist's seal Ensei, dated on the left margin with publisher's information for Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya), Meiji sanjunananen, gogatsu (Meiji 37 [1904], May)

oban tate-e triptych 14 7/8 by 29 5/8 in., 37.7 by 75.4 cm

In Conflicts of Interest, Paget connects the subject of this print with a report of a skirmish which took place on April 10, 1904, near the mouth of the Yalu River which was recounted in Japanese newspapers four days later. According to one of the articles, a small group of six Japanese soldiers on reconnaissance encounted and exchanged fire with group of seven Russian soldiers, who were quickly reinforced by several dozen men. The Japanese took up position on the left bank and were able to drive the Russians away with the help of Japanese cavalry scouts firing from the shore. Paget points out the sophisticated printing of the translucent smoke obscuring the Russian forces on the far shore.

References:
Rhiannon Paget, in Philip K. Hu, ed., et al., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, pp. 226-227. no. 101.1-101.2, accession nos. 406:2010a-c (triptych), and 939:2010a-c (keyblock proof)
Bradley M. Bailey, Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905, Ackland Art Museum, 2017, p. 131, no. 69, object no. 2017.4.4
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 2000.447a-c
(inv. no. C-3027)

$900

Yasuda Hanpo

1889-1947

Illustration of the Eighth Attack on Port Arthur: The Flagship of Russia Was Destroyed by the Torpedo of Our Navy and Admiral Makarov Drowned
(Daihachi Ryojun kogeki no zu, koko ni waga fusetsu suirai Rosen Makarofu chusho dekishi su)

the Japanese title in traditional overlapping square cartouches at upper right, titled again in imperfect English along the bottom edge: The picture of the eighth attack of port Arthup. The Flag-Ship of Russia was destroyed by tbe torpedo of our navy and Admiral Makkaloff drowbed [sic], signed Hanpo with artist's seal Hanpo no in, dated within the publisher's cartouche for Sawa Hisajiro, Meiji sanjunananen (Meiji 37 [1904])

oban tate-e vertical triptych 27 3/4 by 14 in., 70.4 by 35.7 cm

In this composition the artist makes the most of turning the traditional horizontal oban triptych on its head, stacking the sheets upright which emphasizes the verticality of the scene. The dramatic format captures an event which took place on April 1, 1904 when the Japanese navy lured the Russian commander of the Pacific Fleet, Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov (1848-1904) into a minefield which had been laid the previous evening. The Russian flagship, the Petropavlovsk was destroyed, sinking so quickly all were lost, some 679 souls, including Makarov.

Hanpo devotes two-thirds of the composition to a view beneath the surface, drawing our attention to the two mines anchored to the seabed. One mine has already detonated, leaving a large hole in the hull below the waterline as a geyser shoots up into the air and the battleship lists perilously. The impact and steep angle throws the sailors off her deck, sending them tumbling helplessly into the water.

Andreas Marks includes this design (one of only three senso-e from the Sino-Japanese and Russo Japanese wars) in his 2019 publication on ukiyo-e masterpieces, Japanese Woodblock Prints, noting that there are only seven woodblock prints recorded by Hanpo, an artist about whom virtually no biographical details are known.

References:
Rhiannon Paget, in Hu, et al., Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, Saint Louis Art Museum, 2016, p. 230, no. 10 (and re: sinking of the Petropavlovsk), accession no. 559:2010a-c
Andreas Marks, Japanese Woodblock Prints, 2019, pp. 548-549 (two page detail), pp. 550-551, no. 180
British Museum, registration no. 1983,0617,0.1.a-c
Harvard Art Museum, object no. 1978.180
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2007a-c
(inv. no. C-3031)

$2,600

Ogata Gessan

1887-1967

By Destroying the Enemy Wire Entanglements [Japanese Forces] Capture the Enemy Fortress at Nanshan
(Tetsujomo o hakaishite Nanzan no tekirui o nuku)

signed Gessan with artist's seal Ensei, dated on the left margin with publisher's information for Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya), Meiji sanjunananen, kyugatsu (Meiji 37 [1904], September)

oban tate-e triptych 14 1/8 by 27 7/8 in., 36 by 70.7 cm

Reference:
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 2000.449a-c
(inv. no. C-3028)

$750

Ohara Koson

Shoson, 1877-1945

Picture of the Imperial Army Landing from the Rear and Capturing Port Arthur
(Teikoku gundan Ryojunko haimen joriku senryo no zu)

signed Senko kinen Koson e (in eternal commemoration, picture by Koson), with artist's seal Koson, no publisher or date seal, ca. 1904

oban tate-e triptych 14 1/8 by 28 in., 36 by 71 cm

References:
British Museum, registration no. 1946,0209,0.102.1-3 (artist mistakenly identified as Koyo)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 2000.457a-c
New York Public Library, Keene Collection, 108451.a-c
(inv. no. C-3029)

SOLD

On the Vanguard Part 1 →