Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

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"Stories of the Faithful Samurai"

Seichu gishi-den

 

last updated:

new pictures: 09/20/04

 

This series was designed by Kunisada at the age of 79 in the year 1864. It seems to be the latest of his great series. The 47 Ronin  were ordered by the the 47 syllabs of the Kana-alphabet and shown in their last fight against their oponent prince Enya Hangan which took place in a night of the beginning year of 1703.
Although the use of real historical names for personalities living before 1572 were forbidden in 1864 all ronin are given with their original names and not with their alisases used for more than 150 years in prints and other popular literature.

There is also a second series with the same design showing other personalities from the Chushingura story exept the ronin with the title "Seichu gishi-den no uchi". It has no kana in the yellow rhombus and was completed by different pupils of Kunisada in the years after his death.

 

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Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) - series and prints