Sasa Narimasa shogun toratora o setchu no zu
Medium
color woodcut
Dimensions
715; 358
About this artwork
date
Art Historical Context
**Sasa Narimasa Shogun Toratora o Setchu no** (1897) is a striking color woodcut by Toyohara Chikan, a prominent Japanese artist of the Meiji era. Measuring 358 mm high by 715 mm wide, this horizontal print captures a dramatic historical scene featuring Sasa Narimasa, a renowned 16th-century samurai and retainer of the powerful Uesugi clan. The title evokes a snowy setting ("setchu no zu"), portraying Narimasa—known as "Shogun Toratora"—amidst winter's chill, blending valor with nature's austerity in a moment of poised intensity. Chikanobu, active from the late 19th century, mastered ukiyo-e ...
About the Artist
Toyohara Chikanobu · 1838–1912
Toyohara Chikanobu (1838–1912), better known to his contemporaries as Yōshū Chikanobu, was a prolific Japanese woodblock artist whose career bridged the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate and the modernization of Meiji Japan. Before becoming an artist, Chikanobu fought as a samurai retainer for the Sakakibara clan, participating in the doomed resistance at the Battle of Hakodate where Tokugawa loy...