Untitled musha-e (Warrior Tales)

Dimension: 5 1/2 X 7 1/2 in. (closed)

Cover: Nishimura-shi 西村氏= “Nishimura family,” or “Mr. Nishimura”;

This manuscript consists of 75 pages of hand-drawn copies of musha-e (武者絵), or “warrior prints.”, opens in a new window This genre became wildly popular during the 18th century, due in large part to the artwork of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川 国芳, 1797-1862), nicknamed musha-e no Kuniyoshi, or “Kuniyoshi of the Warrior Prints.”1, opens in a new window All 75 pages are dedicated to heroic deeds of brave Japanese historical figures or fictional characters, and the majority are direct copies of Kuniyoshi’s prints. One example, however, is a copy of Hokusai’s print of Hatakeyama Shigetada carrying his horse down a steep mountain (see left). Hatakeyama Shigetada (畠山 重忠, 1164–1205) was a medieval samurai who was associated with many tales of valor and strength. This particular scene comes from the Genpei war, when Shigetada’s company needed to descend the precarious Hiyodorigoe Cliff.2 His commander, Yoshitsune, sent several riderless horses down the cliff, only to see them fall to their deaths. Despite the obvious danger, he ordered the company to descend on horseback anyway. Shigetada, however, could not bring himself to risk his horse Crescent Moon (mikazuki, 三日月), so he carried the frightened horse down on his own back.3 Although archeological excavations of medieval Japanese battlegrounds reveal that samurai horses only averaged at 4 feet 2 inches at the shoulder, this tale is surely mythical.4 It is not only an impressive tale of superhuman strength, but a poignant example of the deep affection shared between samurai and their horses. Susie Anderson 1 Indianapolis Musuem of Art, “Musha-e: Japanese Warrior Prints.”, opens in a new window http://www.imamuseum.org/exhibition/musha-e-japanese-warrior-prints, opens in a new window 2 James King and Yuriko Iwakiri, Japanese Warrior Prints 1646-1905 (Boston: Brill, 2007), 203. 3 Vivienne Kenrick, Horses in Japan (London: J. A. Allen and Co., 1964), 30-31. 4 Karl F. Friday, Samurai, Warfare, and the State in Early Medieval Japan (New York: Toutledge, 2004), 97. Other information (library catalogue, links to websites etc.):, opens in a new window http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/, opens in a new window