No. 2: Guan Yu (Sono ni: Kan'u), from the series "Three Heroes of Shu (Shoku sanketsu)"

Also from the Shoku sanketsu, this [shikishiban](/glossary/shikishiban) [surimono](/glossary/surimono) depicts Guan Yu, the second of the three Shu heroes and the figure most strongly associated with martial loyalty in the Chinese Three Kingdoms tradition. Held by the Art Institute of Chicago and dated to around 1824, the print presents Guan Yu with his characteristic long beard, his halberd, and the formal robes that mark his eventual deification in the Chinese pantheon. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, translated and adapted across the Edo period through novels, illustrated books, and theatrical productions, was among the most influential Chinese literary works in Japan, and Gakutei's treatment of the three heroes as a coordinated surimono set drew on a Sinophile literary culture that ran deep in the kyoka circles. The metallic pigments accent armor and weapon detail, and the careful registration of color reflects the high production standards of the privately-commissioned surimono format.