Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) (artist 04/30/1839 – 06/09/1892)
Mutsuki Suginosuke Norifusa (六木杉之助則房) from the series Sagas of Beauty and Bravery (Biyū Suikoden - 美勇水滸伝)
04/1867
6.75 in x 9.375 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi hitsu
一魁斎芳年筆
Publisher: Ōmiya Kyūjirō
(Marks 415 - seal 30-034)
Date: 4/1867
Carver: Hori Chō
Marega Collection, Universita Pontificia Salesiana
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Hermitage Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
National Gallery of Victoria
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Bibliothèque nationale de France - #29 in an album
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, München If you click on the image and enlarge it, you will see that Norifusa is sheltering behind a large piece of wood (or stone?) that has five arrows stuck into it.
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"The chūban prints from this series were printed two to a block and then cut... The production of the set lasted from 4/1866-4/1867. Once completed, it was issued with an unsigned, undated title page and a contents page that itemised all fifty prints, with the signature Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi ga (picture by Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi) and the name of Kanagaki Robun in the left margin."
Quoted from: Yoshitoshi: Masterpieces from the Ed Freis Collection, page 85. The authors note that there appears to be a later edition where the publisher's seal has been left blank.
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There are 8 other images from this series in the Lyon Collection (#s 404, 1103, 1104, 1155, 1156, 1157, 1188 and 1189), plus the frontispiece (#1191) and title page (#1190).
Ōmiya Kyūjirō (近江屋久次郎) (publisher)
Suikoden (水滸傳) (genre)
Yūrei-zu (幽霊図 - ghosts demons monsters and spirits) (genre)
Katada Chōjirō (片田長次郎) (carver)
Kanagaki Robun (仮名垣魯文) (author)