Kusunoki Masashige Holds the Castle at Chihaya, 1849
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paperexpand_more
Gift of Gordon Brodfuehrerexpand_more 2021.126a-c
Not on Viewexpand_more
A mass of warriors lay siege on a castle as the defenders inside the castle pour boiling hot streams of water from above. In this printed triptych, Utagawa Yoshitora depicts the Siege of Akasaka (1331), in which samurai Kusunoki Masashige and his army of five hundred successfully defended the Akasaka Castle against the Kamakura forces of three hundred thousand soldiers. Kusunoki used canny methods, including drawing the enemy as close to the stone foundation as possible and then pouring scalding water over their heads. Kusunoki fought for the Emperor against the Kamakura shogunate, and after his death he became known as a legendary warrior who personified samurai virtues.
Details
- Title
- Kusunoki Masashige Holds the Castle at Chihaya
- Artist Life
- fl. c.1836 - 1882
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2021.126a-c
- Curator Approved
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