Fan Kuai (Hankai), from the series "Three Broken Gates (Haitatsu sanban)"
1827
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
22.7 × 19.5 cm (8 15/16 × 7 11/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
80923
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with *Fan Kuai (Hankai)*, a exquisite color woodblock print by Yashima Gakutei from 1827. This shikishiban surim—a luxurious, square-format print often privately commissioned for poetry circles or New Year's greetings—measures a intimate 22.7 × 19.5 cm. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago Arts of Asia collection, exemplifies the ukiyo-e tradition's blend of artistry and storytelling. Gakutei, a master of the late Edo era, captures Fan Kuai, a legendary Han Dynasty general famed for his fierce loyalty to Emperor Gaozu. Part of the series *Thre...
About the Artist
Yashima Gakutei · 1786–1868
Yashima Gakutei (c. 1786–1868), born in Osaka as the illegitimate son of a Tokugawa shogunate samurai named Hirata, adopted the name from his mother's subsequent marriage into the Yashima clan. Little is documented about his early years beyond these familial ties, but he pursued artistic training under the esteemed ukiyo-e masters Totoya Hokkei and Katsushika Hokusai, absorbing their precision in ...