Konishi Hirosada (ca 1810 - 1864) Portrait of Minamoto no Ushiwaka maru (Yoshitsune) in a Fan, 1847-48. Deluxe Chuban.
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This is a very unusual - hence rare - design by Hirosada. Although the artist is now well represented on museum sites, this print remains elusive. It shows the youthful hero of Japanese legends in a hand-held Chinese fan. A beautiful design, Hirosada has allowed the fan shape on which the conceit of the painted design sits, to extend beyond the frame of the picture, adding an extra layer of graphic ingenuity to the image. Below the flat painted design, he has shown the handle and cords occupying an implied real space on an ambiguous, shaded surface.
Ushiwaka Maru is the subject of the print and the juvenile name of the great hero Minamoto Yoshitsune (1159 - 1189) from the literary legend, Heike Monogatari. Yoshitsune has parallels with the English folk hero Robin Hood; and his is a tragic and very famous story in Japan. His father was persecuted by the rival Taira Clan and Yoshitsune was brought up in a monastery. Legend has it that he was then taught the secrets of fighting by Tengu (mythical forest creatures) before taking up rebellion against his father’s old enemies. Yoshitsune is usually pictured fighting the warrior monk Benkei at Gojo Bridge. Benkei, known as a phenomenally strong man and warrior, had secured the bridge with the intention of relieving one thousand samurai of their swords. Yoshitsune is his thousandth victim. Yoshitsune, though slight, defeats the giant man using Tengu fighting skills. Benkei becomes his loyal protector and between them they lead an armed rebellion against the Taira, establishing Yoshitsune’s brother as the first national Shogun - a title that would last 650 years until the 19th century. Yoshitsune was betrayed by his brother and later killed himself and his family at the siege of Koromogawa no tate. Despite being such a famed warrior, Yoshitsune is usually pictured as having a delicate feminine beauty as in this piece.
The raw sense of persecution under the Tenpo reforms that prohibited portraits of actors, means that the name of the performer is left off this print as was usual at the time. A fascinating and rare design, the print is a very slightly trimmed. Colour and impression are very good, there is some wear to the print but over all, excellent.
17cm x 25cm.
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