This Water Margin figure — bare-chested to display his tattoos, bow raised, and a humming-bulb arrow (whistling signal arrow) in hand — stands on a balcony overlooking a river in a posture of covert communication. The humming-bulb arrow was used in the novel to signal allies across distances, and Kuniyoshi depicts the moment of dispatch with the river below providing both scenic context and tactical rationale. The bare-chested, tattooed hero type, developed through his Suikoden series, became one of Kuniyoshi's most iconic figure conventions.
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Kanchkotsuritsu Shuki, bare-chested and tattooed, on a balcony overlooking a river. In his bow, a humming-bulb arrow containing a secret message. was created by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳).
Kanchkotsuritsu Shuki, bare-chested and tattooed, on a balcony overlooking a river. In his bow, a humming-bulb arrow containing a secret message. depicts landscapes, rivers & lakes, and interiors.