Currently not on view
“Little Crow,” Sword of the Minamoto (Kogarasumaru no hitokoshi 小鳥丸の一腰 源) (or Crow, Sword, and Plum Blossoms), from the series “Four Great Clans of Japan” (Shisei no uchi 四性ノ内),
early to mid 19th century
“Little Crow” was the name given to a sword that was the family heirloom of the Taira clan in the Tales of Heike, an epic written during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). In this print series, however, the sword is attributed to the Minamoto clan, Taira’s mortal enemy, a theory promulgated in novels and Kabuki theater.
These two surimono impressions of Little Crow, the original and a copy, were created at different times. Surimono is a genre of woodblock prints that were privately commissioned by poetry societies and individuals, and thus were more elaborate and lavishly printed than the average commercial woodblock print.
Information
early to mid 19th century
Asia, Japan
"Little Crow" (Kogarasumaru 小烏丸) is a famed sword of the Minamoto clan. The print series, Four Great Clan (Shisei no uchi), was a set that focused on historical themes related to the four great historical clans of Japan, the Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara, and Tachibana clans. "Little Crow" is associated with the most famous of the clans, the Minamoto.
The print depicts a black crow with spread wings grasping a sheathed samurai sword with its claws. The vantage point of the viewer is below the bird, thus the bird’s underbelly, claws, and the full length of the sword are visible. A tasseled cord is affixed to the sword’s sheath. It loops around the sword and trails behind the soaring bird. In the background branches of a flowering plum blossoms are seen. In the upper left of the print are six lines of calligraphy, below is a red seal.
The dramatic image of a bird in flight is further highlighted by the rich colors used by the printmaker. The deep black of the bird’s plumage is given added interest and texture by overlaying ink layers to delineate the individual feathers—a detail not visible in photographs. The vermillion sword sheath and grey-blue length of cord provide a charming contrast. This design was reproduced in later facsimile copies, which sometimes omitted the textured ink.
The small size and compositional features of this print identify it as a surimono, a sub-category of traditional Japanese woodblock prints that came into fashion in the 1760s and whose appeal lasted about a hundred years. Surimono were privately published works, used for gifts or sometimes for making announcements, and were almost never sold to the general public. The most common type of surimono contained a blend of image and poetry, like "Little Crow". Because no commercial motivations were involved, purely artistic factors were allowed to dominate such prints. The finest papers and pigments were used, top rank craftsmen were commissioned to do the carving and printing, and the best artists were asked to produce the designs.
–early 1860s Acquired by Robert H. Pruyn (Japan), between 1861-1865.
– Robert H. Pruyn (US), by descent through family
–2014 Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art (New York, NY), sold to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2014.
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