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),
reprinted 1890s
after Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎, 1760–1849; born and died Tokyo, Japan
Japanese
Meiji era, 1868–1912
2014-28
“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
Title
“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)
Dates
reprinted 1890s
Maker
after Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
20.3 × 17.8 cm (8 × 7 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Sebastian Izzard
Object Number
2014-28
Place Made
Asia, Japan
Culture
Period
Techniques
–2014 Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art (New York, NY), by gift to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2014.
