A fierce grip on an overhead pole as snow falls

A close bust portrait shows a man with a stern, narrow-eyed expression gripping a white pole overhead with one hand, his dark hair pulled into a topknot. He wears a deep-blue robe with a red lining over grey lattice-patterned under-sleeves. Behind him figures with umbrellas gather beneath a large snow-covered roof as snow falls from a dark sky. A red cartouche at upper right names the series and the figure, Miyamoto Musashi; Kuniyoshi's signature cartouche sits at upper left.

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.