Utagawa Kuniyoshi – Battle Of Kawanakajima, Japanese Woodblock Print, Edo Period, 19th Century

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861)
Battle of Kawanakajima
Japan, Edo period, 19th century
Polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e) on hōshō paper
Ōban tate-e format
35.7 × 24 cm

Original Japanese woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), one of the leading masters of 19th-century ukiyo-e, depicting an episode from the Battle of Kawanakajima, the celebrated conflict between the forces of Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin.

The composition belongs to the musha-e genre, prints devoted to warriors and episodes from Japanese military history. Armored samurai, horses, spears and banners intertwine in a highly dynamic battle scene, while inscribed cartouches identify several of the warriors depicted.

Among the inscriptions are Kanamaru Heihachirō (金丸平八郎) and Hara Yozaemon (原与左エ門), figures associated with the Takeda clan.

The lower section bears the artist’s signature and seals, together with the mark of the publisher Izumiya Ichibei (Kansendō), active in Edo.

The print is executed on hōshō paper, a high-quality traditional Japanese paper belonging to the washi family. The support was identified through direct examination by a conservator specializing in East Asian papers. Strong and absorbent, hōshō paper was particularly well suited to woodblock printing, withstanding the successive impressions from multiple woodblocks required to produce a polychrome nishiki-e.

Good condition considering its age, with colors remaining clearly legible and natural signs of age and use.

Dimensions: 35.7 × 24 cm (14.06 × 9.45 in)