Utagawa Kuniyoshi, "Mase Magoshiro Masatatsu"

Masatatsu was a skilled swordsman but his sore hands did not enable him to grip a sword effectively. He is shown smashing an earthen vessel with a mallet.

Series: Stories of the Faithful Samurai (The 47 Ronin)
Date: 1848
Size: Oban
Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke
Condition: Very good
Sample print shown in 16” x 24” x 1/2” Classic Wood, Walnut Frame

Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s (1798-1861) famous “Stories of the Faithful Samurai,” is popularly known as the story of the Forty-Seven Ronin. The legendary Japanese tale of loyalty, revenge, and honor has been part of Japanese culture for more than two centuries, and the subject of numerous noh and kabuki plays in Japan, as well as books and films in the West. Published in 1848, the series contains a total of fifty-one designs, each of which incorporates a biographical inscription of each character and their role in the famous story.