This surimono (c. 1828-30) bears a title suggesting it depicts Yan Qing (Japanese: Roshi Ensei), a Water Margin hero known as the "Wanderer," celebrated for his wrestling skill and loyalty to Song Jiang. The luxury surimono format, with its metallic pigments and embossed paper, was suited to intimate hero portraits, and Kuniyoshi's early Suikoden-related surimono pieces often precede or accompany his larger commercial Suikoden series. The figure's pose would emphasize the languid self-possession that defined Yan Qing's character.
