Sanjō no Kokaji Munechika
- Date:
- Mid-1830s
- Medium:
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Victoria and Albert Museum
Description
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.
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Woman as the Hero Taisō in Palanquin Holding a Pipe
c. 1830
Woodblock print (surimono), ink and color on paper
Yan Qing (Roshi Ensei), from the series "One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)"
Poem by Abe no Nakamaro, from an untitled series of One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets
Hu Sanniang (Ko Sanjo Ichijosei), from the series "One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsuzoku Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)"
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Frequently Asked Questions
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.