Description: General Xiang Yu, shown struggling with his horse as it shies from the reflection of Lady Yu who has killed herself. I could find only one other print of this 1827 woodblock by Utagawa Kunisada, and that other one is in the Freer / Sackler collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. There may be others in private collections. Produced during the Edo period, printed in ink and color on handmade paper, its title is "Military Tales of Han and Chu: Xiang Yu." It's one of a series of prints devoted to the heroes of the founding of the Han dynasty. Xiang Yu (232 B.C.E. - 202 B.C.E.) was a prominent general whose heroism on the battlefield made him a cultural hero and a favorite subject of Chinese folk tales, poetry, and drama including the Peking Opera. Kunisada's "Military Tales of the Han and Chu" seems to have been a relatively small series; to date six images have been recorded. Xiang Yu, struggling with his horse as it shies from the reflection of the dead Lady YuLady Yu, wife of Xiang Yu, who kills herself to enable Xiang Yu to escapeKosekiko and ChoryoHan Kwai saving Choryo and KosoSoshi Shinki/Zhuang Shi Xinchi Slaying a TigerLiu Bang, first Han emperor, known as Gaozu CONDITION: All edges of the print have been trimmed, resulting in some image loss, mostly on the left and right. Double matted and framed under glass in a "bamboo" frame of carved, painted wood, black with some gold accents. Frame: 15" x 19.25" X .75" Image visible: 8.75" x 12" Weighs 3 lb. 5 oz. Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786 - 1864 ), is considered the most popular, prolific and commercially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. He was born near Edo and, at the age of 14, he was admitted to study under Toyokuni, head of the prestigous Utagawa art school. Kunisada’s art career took off from the beginning. He published his first illustrated book in 1807, and in 1808, his first prints of actors brought him rapid fame. Many of his works became overnight successes and he was considered the “star attraction” of the Utagawa school. He signed his works “Kunisada,” until 1844 when he adopted the name of his teacher and became "Toyokuni III." In his time, Kunisada's reputation surpassed those of his contemporaries Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. Kunisada passed away at age 70 in 1864 in the same neighborhood where he'd been born. Today, Kunisada's work can be seen at several world class museums including the British Museum, London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Price: 450 USD
Location: Richmond, Virginia
End Time: 2025-02-03T14:59:11.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Primary Material: Paper
Color: Multi-Color
Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
Region of Origin: Japan
Age: 1800-1849
