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The death of Kusunoki Masatsura

The death of Kusunoki Masatsura
(Kusunoki Masatsura uchijini no zu 楠正行討死之図)
 1862

Medium
colour woodblock (triptych)
Measurements
(a-c) 35.9 × 74.0 cm (image) (overall)
(a-c) 36.4 × 74.0 cm (sheet) (overall)
Place/s of Execution
Japan
Inscription
(a) printed in ink (in image) l.l.: (publisher’s seal)
printed in ink (in image) l.r.: (carver’s seal) / (censor’s seal) / 一英斎 芳艶
(b) printed in ink (in image) l.r.: 一英斎 芳艶 / (censor’s seal) / (publisher’s seal)
(c) printed in ink (in image) u.r.: 楠正行討死
printed in ink (in image) c.r.: (censor’s seal) / 一英斎 芳艶 / (carver’s seal) / (publisher’s seal)
Accession Number
AS9.a-c-1993
Department
Asian Art
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1993
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation
Gallery location
Not on display
Physical description
In this adrenaline-filled print we see the famous fourteenth-century general Kusunoki and two fellow warriors battling through a storm of arrows at the battle of Sakainoura in 1348. In the poetic tradition of many samurai, before his final battle Kusunoki composed the following death poem, brought to life in this melodramatic woodblock print: I have a feeling / I will not be returning, / so among the names / of those who died by the bow / I inscribe my own.