Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1839-1892

Eastern Flowers of Rough Stories from the Floating World: Ito Ryokaku; Sekiguchi Yataro
(Azuma no nishiki ukiyo kodan: Ito Ryokaku; Sekiguchi Yataro)

signed Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi hitsu, with artist's seal Kiri, publisher's seal Kinseido (Sanoya Tomigoro of Kinseido), and combined censor and date seal U-kyu, aratame (year of the hare [1867], 9th lunar month, examined)

oban tate-e 14 1/8 by 9 1/2 in., 36 by 24.1 cm

This composition identifies the character as Sekiguchi Yataro from a story retold by Ito Ryokaku. Sekiguchi is depicted fearlessly staring down a group of wolves in the Hakone Mountains of Sagami Province. In this episode, recounted in kabuki theater, he meets the legendary swordsman and strategist Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) who was the author of The Book of the Five Rings (Go rin no sho), an enormously influential book on tactics and philosophy of war.

References:
Keyes 1983, p. 376, no. 202.10
van den Ing & Schaap 1992, p. 105, no. 20.10

$1,600