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Artist: Yashima Gakutei (八島岳亭)

Print: Nitan Shirō (Tadatsune) hunting a wild boar in Yorimoto's hunting party near Mount Fuji Dates: 1827,created
Dimensions: 10.75 in,7.25 in,Overall dimensions
Medium: Japanese woodblock print

Signed: Gakutei Sadaoka ga

Related links: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - 19th c. tsuba showing same encounter;

Physical description:

There are a number of stories related to the vendetta of the Soga brothers against Suketune, the man responsible for the death of their father. This print by Gakutei illustrates one of those peripheral tales.

Yoritomo and his men, including Suketune, have gone to the foot of Mt. Fuji on a hunting expedition - where the Soga brothers are about to make their move. "During the... expedition, a monstrous boar, roused by beaters, killed some of its tormentors, threw others to the ground and then charged Yoritomo. Without the slightest hesitation, Nitan no Shirō placed himself directly in the beast's path, leapt on its back, and killed it with his dirk.

The dexterity and bravery of the warrior's extraordinary feat is perfectly captured by Gakutei, who chose to represent the moment when Shirō, astride the enormous beast, is just about to slay it. The contrast between the hapless retainers and the confident hero is clearly done. The device of representing the action as if taking place on a six-fold screen emphasizes that this surimono is a New Year's card, in all likelihood for the Year of the Boar, 1827. There are two kyōka on this surimono, each a collaborative work between two poets and each devoted to particular locations associated with Mount Fuji. The first poem makes abstruse comparisons between places on Mount Fuji and parts of the human body. The second poem reads:

tsuwamono no
Fuji no Shibayama
keburite kasumu
haru no hi o

The warrior goes
to Shibayama on Mount Fuji.
There is snow.
It makes the spring sun
hazy and smokey.


Source and quote from: Japanese Warrior Prints 1646-1905 by James King and Yuriko Iwakiri, p. 218. Illustrated in color on the next page.

Related entities

Yashima Gakutei (八島岳亭) (artist)
surimono - 摺物 (genre)
Historical - Social - Ephemera (genre)
Soga brothers (曾我兄弟) (genre)
Mount Fuji (富士山) (genre)
Jūnishi (十二支 - 12 signs of the Zodiac) (genre)