Illustration of Sergeant Kawasaki Crossing the Taedong River from the series Sino-Japanese War Picture Book

 

Japanese Color Woodblock Print

Illustration of Sergeant Kawasaki Crossing

the Taedong River

from the series Sino-Japanese War Picture Book

by Yukawa Hiromitsu, 1894



IHL Cat. #2432

About This Print

In this print Yukawa has pictured Sergeant Kawasaki escaping the Chinese enemy under a hail of bullets by stealing a boat to cross the Taedong River after completing his spying mission. There are several versions of cavalry Sergeant Kawasaki Iseo's heroics and a number of prints portraying them, as shown below. 

click on image to enlarge


This print, as opposed to almost all other Sino-Japanese War prints, was published in Ōsaka rather than in Tokyo. Its publisher Ōbuchi Wataru of the publishing house Hatsubai Shinshindō was primarily a book publisher and this print was part of a twelve print gafu (picture book), a portfolio titled Sino-Japanese War Picture Book,  the envelope for which is shown below.

Envelope for the series Sino-Japanese War Picture Book
image source: Penn Museum 17719M


To see more prints of the Sino-Japanese War including the Battle of Pyongyang see the article Sino-Japanese War Prints (1894-1895).

Print Details

 IHL Catalog
 #2432
 Title or Description Illustration of Sergeant Kawasaki Crossing the Taedong River
 川崎軍曹大同江渉圖
 Series Title Sino-Japanese War Picture Book 日清戦争画譜 Nishin sensō gafu
 Artist Yukawa Hiromitsu (active c. 1894)
 Signature
Hiromitsu 広
 Seal  Yukawa seal (see above)
 Publication Date
October 18, 1894 (Meiji 27) [printed October 14, 1894]
 Publisher
Ōbuchi Wataru 大淵涉 of the Ōsaka 大阪 publishing house Hatsubai Shinshindō  發賣駸々堂
[click on image to enlarge]
 Impression excellent
 Colors excellent
 Condition fair - light overall toning; possible foxing spot lower right of image; 1 in. x 1/8 in. section of right margin missing
 Genre ukiyo-esenso-e
 Miscellaneous   
 Format shikishiban
 H x W Paper 
 9 5/8 x 8 1/4 in. (24.4 x 21 cm) 
 H x W Image
 9 3/16 x 7 7/16 in. (23.3 x 18.9 cm)
 Literature 
 
 Collections This Print
 Penn Museum University of Pennsylvania 17719J
last revision:
4/7/2021 created