Sugaya Kuemon was one of the forty-seven ronin who carried out the vendetta against Kira Yoshinaka in 1703. This 1868 nishiki-e portrait is part of Yoshitoshi's sustained engagement with the Chushingura subjects across multiple formats and series throughout his career. The ronin was a particularly resonant figure in the early Meiji period, when the question of what loyalty, sacrifice, and honor meant in a rapidly modernizing society was being debated across political, literary, and theatrical culture.
1888
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Color woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Sugaya Kuemon was created by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) in 1868, 8th lunar month.
Sugaya Kuemon depicts figures, warriors, and portraits.
Sugaya Kuemon measures 36.2 × 24.3 cm (Oban format).
