Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Kuniyoshi’s Heroes of China and Japan

A catalogue of the Ashmolean’s collection of warriors by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) by Oliver Impey and Mitsuko Watanabe (published Oxford, 2003).

Kuniyoshi’s Heroes of China and Japan by Oliver Impey and Mitsuko Watanabe

Publications online: 20 objects

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Kojōsō Jisen (Shi Qian)

  • Literature notes

    Suikoden chapter 45

    Kojōsō Jisen, who was born in Kōtō-shū Gaolang zhou, was well-known for his sharp eyes, and was skinny with dark skin. He had a remarkable ability of being able to spring from the ground onto the roof of houses and was therefore able to steal things. His nickname Kojōsō derives from a fanciful idea of fleas bouncing on a drum. He was ordered by his commander to learn martial skills from Kinsōshu Jonei (Xu Ning), who was celebrated for his use of spears. In order to do this, Jisen stole the armour of Saitōgei, Jonei’s family treasure, thus successfully luring Jonei to the mountain territories, where he became a commander.

    This print illustrates the scene when Jisen has climbed to the top of a cypress tree from where he watches Jonei’s house with a lantern, awaiting the best moment to steal the armour of Saitōgei, under the moonlit sky.
  • Details

    Series
    One of the 108 Heroes of the Popular Water Margin
    Associated place
    AsiaJapanHonshūKantōTōkyō prefecture Tōkyō (place of creation)
    AsiaJapanHonshūKantōTōkyō prefecture Tōkyō (place of publication)
    Date
    1827 - 1830
    Artist/maker
    Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861) (designer)
    Associated people
    Kagaya Kichibei (active c. 1804 - 1880) (publisher)
    Material and technique
    woodblock
    Dimensions
    mount 55.4 x 40.4 cm (height x width)
    print 36.8 x 25.4 cm (height x width)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Presented by George Grigs, Miss Elizabeth Grigs, and Miss Susan Messer, in memory of Derick Grigs, 1971.
    Accession no.
    EA1971.96
  • Further reading

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • Kuniyoshi’s Heroes of China and Japan by Oliver Impey and Mitsuko Watanabe

    Kuniyoshi’s Heroes of China and Japan

    Suikoden chapter 45

    Kojōsō Jisen, who was born in Kōtō-shū Gaolang zhou, was well-known for his sharp eyes, and was skinny with dark skin. He had a remarkable ability of being able to spring from the ground onto the roof of houses and was therefore able to steal things. His nickname Kojōsō derives from a fanciful idea of fleas bouncing on a drum. He was ordered by his commander to learn martial skills from Kinsōshu Jonei (Xu Ning), who was celebrated for his use of spears. In order to do this, Jisen stole the armour of Saitōgei, Jonei’s family treasure, thus successfully luring Jonei to the mountain territories, where he became a commander.

    This print illustrates the scene when Jisen has climbed to the top of a cypress tree from where he watches Jonei’s house with a lantern, awaiting the best moment to steal the armour of Saitōgei, under the moonlit sky.
Notice

Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.

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