Shokoku Taira no Kiyomori, by Yashima Gakutei

An image of Shokoku Taira no Kiyomori. Gakutei, Yashima (Japanese, 1786(?)-1868). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing, circa 1820-circa 1823. Ukiyo-e. Poetry by Kaentei Shigeki and Kakaitei (?) Sumiyasu. Notes: From the series Katsushika nijushiko (Twenty-four Generals for the Katsushika Group). Kiyomori (1118-1181) was son of a concubine of the Emperor Shirakawa Tenno. He was sent to Yoshitomo by the Emperor to order the death of Tameyoshi (see the next print). He defeated the Minamoto (or Genji) clan in 1159, sending Yoshitomo’s son Yoritomo to exile. The dominion of the Taira (or Heike) clan lasted for twenty three years, during which time Kiyomori ruled as a dictatorial Chancellor of the Empire. After his death, the power of his family vanished and the Minamoto clan took control again. The story of the feud between the two families was told in the Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike), and retold many times. It became the subject of numerous plays, mostly featuring the heroic deeds of Yoshitsune no Minamoto. These stories were familiar to most Japanese, and had something of the status of Arthurian legend.

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Shokoku Taira no Kiyomori. Gakutei, Yashima (Japanese, 1786(?)-1868). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing, circa 1820-circa 1823. Ukiyo-e. Poetry by Kaentei Shigeki and Kakaitei (?) Sumiyasu. Notes: From the series Katsushika nijushiko (Twenty-four Generals for the Katsushika Group). Kiyomori (1118-1181) was son of a concubine of the Emperor Shirakawa Tenno. He was sent to Yoshitomo by the Emperor to order the death of Tameyoshi (see the next print). He defeated the Minamoto (or Genji) clan in 1159, sending Yoshitomo’s son Yoritomo to exile. The dominion of the Taira (or Heike) clan lasted for twenty three years, during which time Kiyomori ruled as a dictatorial Chancellor of the Empire. After his death, the power of his family vanished and the Minamoto clan took control again. The story of the feud between the two families was told in the Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike), and retold many times. It became the subject of numerous plays, mostly featuring the heroic deeds of Yoshitsune no Minamoto. These stories were familiar to most Japanese, and had something of the status of Arthurian legend.

Image data

Accession Number: P.311-1937
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/20.0
Focal length: 120
Camera: Hasselblad H4D-31
Photographer name: Sam Cole
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 912 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 938.82kB
Exposure time: 1/250
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 20/1
Captured: 2017:09:04 09:53:23

Key words

19th Century blind embossing colour printing Edo Period embossed embossing female Fitz_PDP Gakutei general Japan Japanese kimono Kiyomori male metallic pigment pigment poem poetry poets print surimono swords ukiyo-e weapons woman woodblock woodcut Yashima Gakutei

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            "Shokoku Taira no Kiyomori, by Yashima Gakutei"
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