JAPANESE ART > UKIYO-E WOODBLOCK PRINTS > LADY TOMOE BATTLING AT AWAZU

Lot 01024
N.1 ukiyo-e woodblock print

Utagawa Kunisada

LADY TOMOE BATTLING AT AWAZU

Period: 1840s
Condition: signs of aging
Size: 26 x 38 cm

SOLD

Superb polychrome woodblock print depicting Lady Tomoe (巴女), the legendary female warrior in the service of Minamoto no Yoshinaka (源義仲), at the moment she wrenches the trunk of a pine tree from the grasp of her attacker Wada Yoshimori (和田義盛) during the Battle of Awazu (粟津の戦い) in 1184.

The work, of vertical large oban (大判) format, is the central panel of a rare triptych and was made in the forties of the 19th century by the famous artist Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞).

The precious print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the obvious signs of aging including slight wrinkles and folds as well as the presence of restorations on the upper corners and small holes, is in overall fair condition.

Back to home page »