An actor draws his sword while climbing a red railing

An actor in the role of Shirai Gonpachi climbs over a red-lacquered railing with gold fittings above a bank of clouds, gripping a sword hilt with both hands as he draws it, one bare foot on the rail. He wears a black sleeveless overgarment marked with a white cross-in-circle crest over a grey robe patterned with red plum blossoms, and pale blue fabric billows at his waist. His role name is brushed at the upper left; Kuniyoshi's signature is brushed at the lower left with two round black seals and a red seal.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861) brought heroes, monsters and spectacle into the ukiyo-e print. A pupil of Toyokuni, he made his name in 1827 with the series of the One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Suikoden, tattooed warriors caught mid-action, and went on to giant skeletons, cats, whales and satirical puzzles that slipped past the censors. His restless invention influenced Yoshitoshi and, much later, tattoo and manga art. His prints are held by the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Printed as a museum-grade giclée on Hahnemühle fine art paper using 12-ink archival pigment printing. Available handframed in FSC-certified wood with optional float glass, or unframed. Ships worldwide with free delivery to 30+ countries.