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De Bry Rare Books

A Silk Bound Album of 32 Sino-Japanese War Triptychs - Senso-e - by Kiyochika, Gekko, Toshihide, Toshikata, Baisaku and others.

A Silk Bound Album of 32 Sino-Japanese War Triptychs - Senso-e - by Kiyochika, Gekko, Toshihide, Toshikata, Baisaku and others.

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Beautiful Silk Bound Album of 32 Japanese colour woodblock triptychs of battle scenes from the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)

-Double sided folding album in oban tate-e format (35.5 x 23.5 cm)

-Near fine condition with strong colours and only minimal marks and bumps to binding.

-Images bright and crisp with strong impressions

Following rapid industrialisation, the Sino-Japanese war (1894-5) signalled the start of Imperial Japanese ambitions. The modernised Japanese army was able to over-run the larger, but less up to date, Qing army leading to a rapid victory for the Japanese. There was huge nationalistic support for the war leading to a significant demand for Japanese prints of the conflict - which were termed Senso- and many artists produced prints for the conflict.

This contemporary set includes 8 triptychs by Kobayashi Kiyochika, 7 by Ogata Gekko and 3 by Baisaku Taguchi, who are the most celebrated artists of the Sino-Japanese war. As most of the artists never visited the war front, artists were able to depict scenes as they thought best. Many artists drew gory battle scenes, often with racial stereotypes, but the best artists used their imagination and artistic skill to create vivid landscapes and thoughtful depictions of individual soldiers at war. The Sino-Japanese war is often considered the zenith of Japanese print making as following this photography took over as the predominant media form.


The album contains the following triptychs:

1) Watanabe Nobukazu - Japanese and Chinese Officers and Officials Discuss Surrender Terms

2) Utagawa Kokunimasa - The Small Fight in Seoul, Korea durning Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895

3) Kobayashi Kiyochika - The Fierce Battle at Asan, Attack via the Ansung River

4) Toyohara Chikanobu - A Battle Scene during the Sino-Japanese War

5) Shunsai Toshimasa - Daedong River

6) Kobayashi Kiyochika - Using an Electric Searchlight in the Attack on Pyeongyang (silver smoke) (Heijo kogeki denki shiyo no zu)

7) Toshikata Mizuno - Kawasaki Iseo, spy of the cavalry, crosses alone in the evening of the 3rd august the Taidong River, observes enemy movements and while taking a boat from the enemy returning composedly to his camp

8) Toshikata Mizuno - Brave Harada Jukichi Opens Gembu Gate at Pyongyang

9) Baisaku Taguchi - The first solider scales the Hyonmu Gate at Pyongyang

10) Ogata Gekko - Nisshin sensô, Nissei Heijô shôhô zu (Japanese army attacking Pyongyang)

11) Utagawa Kokunimasa

12)  Migita ToshihideThere Stands No Enemy Where We Go: Surrender of Pyongyang (Mukau tokoro tekinashi: Heijō kanraku) (part 3 of 9 sheet image)

13)  Migita ToshihideThere Stands No Enemy Where We Go: Surrender of Pyongyang (Mukau tokoro tekinashi: Heijō kanraku) (part 1 of 9 sheet image)

14) Ogata Gekko - Nichigun Heijô daishô no zu (Illustration of the Great Battle of the Japanese Army at Pyongyang)

15) Kobayashi Kiyochika - Victory at Pyongyang

16) Migita ToshihideThere Stands No Enemy Where We Go: Surrender of Pyongyang (Mukau tokoro tekinashi: Heijō kanraku) (part 2 of 9 sheet image)

17) Kobayashi Kiyochika -  Banzai for Japan!: The Victory Song of Pyongyang” October 1894

18) Ginko Adachi - Fighting for the gate of the city of Jiuliancheng in Manchuria

19) Toshikata Mizuno - The Fall of Fenghuangcheng: The Enemy Giving Up (Hoojo kanraku tekihei kaiso no zu), Meiji era (November 1894).

20) Ogata Gekko - Picture of the Great Victory at Fenghuangcheng

21) Baisaku Taguchi -  Scouts at Motianling

22) Kobayashi Kiyochika “Picture of Our Second Army Landing at Jinzhoucheng and
Bombarding the Enemy Camp”

23) Shuko Tomita - "Attacking Jiuliancheng of Qing Kingdom"

24) Baisaku Taguchi - The Japanese 2nd Army occupies Jinzhoucheng

25) Kobayashi Kiyochika - Battle at Jinzou-cheng Fortress

26) Ogata Gekko - Nisshin senso Kunshujo tsuigeki no tsuigeki no zu (Pursuing the retreating enemy at Jinzhoucheng)

27) Ogata Gekko - Ryojun no sankan ni roei shôshi nikkô o haisu zu (Officers and Men Worshipping the Rising Sun While Encamped in the Mountains of Port Arthur) 

28) unidentified 

29) Ogata Gekko - Ryojunkô kanraku no zu (Surrender at Port Arthur)

30) Ogata Gekko - Nisshin sensô: Ryojunkô hôdai nottoru no zu (Capture of a cannon battery at Ryojun)

31) Kobayashi Kiyochika - “Illustration of the Landing and Advance to Weihaiwei”

32) unidentified 

 

 

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