Page 159 - September 21 2021 Important Japanese Art Christie's NYC

229 UTAGAWA YOSHIIKU (1833-1904) AND TSUKIOKA

YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)

Eimei nijuhasshuku (Twenty-
eight murders with verse)

A complete set of twenty-eight woodlock
prints plus a contents page, with hand-applied
red pigment mixed with glue on some sheets,
each signed Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi hitsu or Ikkeisai
Yoshiiku ga, published by Sanoya Tomigoro
(Kinseido), carved by Shimizu Ryuzo, 1866-67
Vertical oban: 13æ x 9Ω in. (34.9 x 24.1 cm.)
each approx. (29)
$26,000-28,000

Together studied under Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861),
Yoshiiku and Yoshitoshi were the best rivals and continued the
extravanganza style of Kuniyoshi. Being inspired by Kuniyoshi's
Saetate no uchi kitai no wazamono (Skillfully Tempered Sharp
Blades) and each contributed fourteen sheets, the two Kuniyoshi
students finished this earliest example of muzan-e (bloody prints),
which demonstrated violent scenes and was large produced
in late Edo Period to early Meiji Period. Most of such prints,
including this series, were created based on kabuki stories.
The society in the late Edo Period (mid 19th century) was at
an unstable stage with the deminishing Tokugawa shogunate
and the entering of Western power. Though mostly fictional,
the fact that Muzan-e getting popular at such background must
indicated that the Edo commoners saw bloody scenes happening
around them regularly. The title of this series is believed to have
a buddhist reference, as 二十八衆句 (28 verses) puns to 二十八宿 (28
mansions) and 衆句 (verses) puns to 衆苦 (numerous suffering).
Contents page