Sanjo no Kokaji Munechika was the legendary swordsmith who, according to medieval tradition, forged one of Japan's greatest blades with the aid of the Inari fox deity. Kuniyoshi depicts the smithy scene — Munechika at the forge, the divine helper appearing — with a reverence appropriate to the mythologizing of craft mastery. Produced in the mid-1830s, the print participates in Kuniyoshi's broader interest in historical and legendary figures from Japan's warrior and artisan traditions.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Sanjō no Kokaji Munechika was created by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) in Mid-1830s.
Sanjō no Kokaji Munechika depicts figures, mythology, and craftspeople.
