“Koma-kurabe banjo taiheiki” 駒くらべ盤上太平棋 (Battle of the Chess Pieces: Prosperity and Peace across the Board)

Description

Original woodblock print triptych – Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) -“Koma-kurabe banjo taiheiki” 駒くらべ盤上太平棋 (Battle of the Chess Pieces: Prosperity and Peace across the Board) – 1843 (Tenpô 14), 7th month

Utagawa Kuniyoshi was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. He was a member of the Utagawa school.

The range of Kuniyoshi’s subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, cats, and mythical animals. He is known for depictions of the battles of legendary samurai heroes. His artwork incorporated aspects of Western representation in landscape painting and caricature.

This work is one of Kuniyoshi’s representative works.

As it is an old ukiyo-e, it has holes.

See Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/500172

British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2008-3037-18408

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: https://art.nelson-atkins.org/objects/12022/battle-of-chess

and Kuniyoshi Project: http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/Comic%20and%20Miscellaneous%20Triptychs%20and%20Diptychs,%20Part%20I.htm