Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, "Taira no Tomomori's Ghosts Appears at Daimotsu Bay"

Taira no Tomomori was a 12th century general in the Heike clan who was defeated at the Battle of Dannoura by Minamoto. When Minamoto returns with his fleet by boat, Tomomori’s ghost appears in the huge waves in Daimotsu Bay. The story appears regularly in some very famous composition of Japanese prints by artists such as Kuniyoshi and Yoshikazu. Unlike other compositions, this print only shows Tomomori’s ghost riding the wave and does not show Minamoto’s fleet. The waves in the print are beautifully rendered.

Series: New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts
Date 1891
Size: Oban
Publisher: Sasaki Toyokichi
Condition: Excellent color and condition, with gaufrage; (original album backing; light trimming)
Shown in Classic Wood, Walnut Frame

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s (1839-1892) Shinkei sanjurokkaissen (New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts) series of woodblock prints was the artist’s last series of works completed between 1889 and 1892 before his death. The prints from this series are exemplary of Yoshitoshi’s long interest on macabre and dark subjects, and is illustrative of his unique abilities to channel these subjects into beautifully captivating compositions. Tokaido Arts is pleased to offer a selection from one of Yoshitoshi’s most famous series of woodblock prints.