Ghosts of the Taira at Daimotsu Bay

1849–52

Not on view

The sea itself seems to convulse as an army of ghosts emerges in the distance to menace a ship full of warriors of the Minamoto clan, recalling an ancient battle. In the spring of 1185, the Minamoto clan vanquished the rival Taira clan in a decisive clash at sea, ushering in a period of warrior rule. Kuniyoshi describes the Taira apparitions with fluid forms in a soft palette, a contrast to the vivid colors and razor-sharp clarity of the foreground. Kuniyoshi often used silhouette—itself a symbol of evanescence—as a method of depicting ethereal subjects such as ghosts, around which developed a genre that became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

歌川国芳画「大物の浦平家の亡霊」
Title: Ghosts of the Taira at Daimotsu Bay
Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797–1861)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1849–52
Culture: Japan
Medium: Triptych of woodblock prints (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 13 15/16 × 9 7/8 in. (35.4 × 25.1 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Harold de Raasloff, 1918
Object Number: JP1115.2a–c
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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