Min Ziqian (Bin Shiken), from the series "Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety in China (Morokoshi nijushiko)"

Min Ziqian (Bin Shiken), from Utagawa Kuniyoshi's 1843 series Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety in China (Morokoshi nijushiko), illustrates one of the most psychologically nuanced stories in the traditional Chinese compendium of filial exemplars. Min Ziqian, a disciple of Confucius himself, suffered cruel treatment from his stepmother, who lined his winter coat with rushes while padding the coats of her own sons with warm cotton. When the truth came out, Min Ziqian's father resolved to expel the stepmother, but Min Ziqian pleaded for him not to: if his stepmother stayed, only one child (himself) would suffer cold, but if she were sent away, all three children would be motherless. The story exemplifies the principle that filial devotion extends to maintaining family unity even at personal cost. Kuniyoshi, although best known for warrior prints, produced this extensive series translating the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety into the visual language of Edo ukiyo-e. The composition focuses on Min Ziqian in winter, often emphasizing the contrast of his inadequate clothing against the cold. As nishiki-e of the late Tenpo era, the print employs color woodblock techniques with careful attention to costume and seasonal setting. The didactic function is integrated with Kuniyoshi's characteristic figure work. This impression is preserved in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.