
The Ex-Emperor Fleeing in Defeat, from the series Tale of Heike
- Series:
- Tale of Heike
- Date:
- 1972
- Medium:
- Stencil on paper; edition 43/50
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago

$300–$3,000. Common folk art prints: $300–$800. Key value factors: Mori's cheerful folk art prints are affordably priced. His stencil technique (kappazuri) is distinctive.
The Ex-Emperor Fleeing in Defeat, from the series Tale of Heike, printed in 1972 as a stencil in an edition of forty-three, depicts the tragic moment when Emperor Antoku — the young child emperor of the Taira clan — was carried into the sea at the Battle of Dan-no-ura rather than face capture by the victorious Minamoto forces. The ex-emperor's flight in defeat was one of the most poignant moments in the Heike Monogatari, the great medieval war chronicle that remained one of the central texts of Japanese cultural memory. Mori's stencil rendering gave this historical tragedy the bold visual treatment it demanded.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
The Ex-Emperor Fleeing in Defeat, from the series Tale of Heike was created by Yoshitoshi Mori (森義利) in 1972.
Yes — The Ex-Emperor Fleeing in Defeat, from the series Tale of Heike is part of the Tale of Heike series by Yoshitoshi Mori.
The Ex-Emperor Fleeing in Defeat, from the series Tale of Heike uses Stencil Print, on stencil on paper; edition 43/50.