Two Brave Men Fight on the Roof of Hōryūkaku (Hōryūkaku ryūyū ugoku)

Maker(s)
Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839-1892)
Publisher: Hasegawa Tsunejirō 長谷川常治郎
Historical period(s)
Meiji era, 1885
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (diptych): 74.3 x 24.8 cm (29 1/4 x 9 3/4 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S2004.3.317a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Woodblock print

Keywords
Anne van Biema collection, battle, diptych, hero, Japan, Meiji era (1868 - 1912), oban
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Warriors prepare for hand-to-hand combat on the precariously steep roof of a castle tower. The vertical diptych format of this print dramatically enhances the steep composition. The story depicted here comes from Takizawa Bakin's (1767-1848) lengthy masterpiece, The Story of the Eight "Dogs" of the Satomi Clan (Nanso Satomi Hakkenden; published serially 1814-42). At the end of the impending conflict illustrated here, the heroes lock in struggle, lose their footing, and fall into the river far below. But, in a typical twist of the plot of Bakin's narrative, the combatants survive their fall from the rooftop, discover that they are brothers, and the story continues.

Published References
  • Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 96, pp. 248-249.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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