TOH DAI DAI SENSOH E ZU: TOH DAI WAR OF 1868 OR THE BOSHIN WARS, AKA: UENO BATTL.

[Tokyo 1890 Miyake]. Nine matching Oban woodcut prints,in an accordion folding folder, neatly rebacked, each print ca. 25 x 37 cm., folds open to 223.5 cm., very clean, no defects, lovely polychrome color printing. RARE FIRST & ONLY EDITION

This stunning and complete nine panel print series is more than RARE within the genre of Japanese prints, they are IMPOSSIBLE ! * We are fortunate to have acquired this complete and marvelous work by the master UTAGAWA Yoshitora aka: Gountei [flourished 1850-1880] was an Ukiyo-e painter and did many fine prints of foreigners in Yokohama, with considerable naive charm. His works are widely collected by world museums and institutaions. With the Yoshitora's alternate or "studio name" of Nagashima Mohsai found on two panels [#4 & 9] in a white signature cartououche. * This lovely work covers the Boshin War of 1868, also know as the Ueno or Todai War. * BOSHIN WAR: This is the largest and most famous battle scene of the Ueno war designed by Yoshitora, and is surely the most complete view of the battle ever printed in nine complete panels. It is spectacular and exceedingly RARE to find it complete and preserved in such a clean and flawless state. * The Boshin Senso [war], "War of the Year of the Dragon" was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court. The war finds its origins in dissatisfaction among many nobles and young samurai with the Shogunate's handling of foreign-ers following the opening of Japan in 1854 by Commodore Perry, the prior decade. An alliance of southern Samurai and court officials secured the cooperation of the young Emperor Meiji, who declared the abolition of the two-hundred-year- old Shogunate. Military movements by imperial forces and partisan violence in Edo led Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the sitting Shogun, to launch a military campaign to seize the emperor's court at Kyoto. The military tide rapidly turned in favor of the smaller but relatively modernized imperial faction, and after a series of battles culminating in the surrender of Edo, Yoshinobu personally surrendered. The Tokugawa remnant retreated to northern Honshu and later to Hokkaido, where they founded the Ezo republic. Defeat at the Battle of Hakodate broke this last holdout and left the imperial rule supreme throughout the whole of Japan, completing the military phase of the Meiji Restoration. * Approximately 120,000 men were mobilized during the conflict and of these about 3,500 were killed. In the end,the victorious imperial faction abandoned its objective to expel foreigners from Japan and instead adopted a policy of continued modernization with an eye to eventual renegotiation of the Unequal Treaties with the Western powers. Due to the persistence of Saigo Takamori, a prominent leader of the imperial faction, the Tokugawa loyalists were shown clemency, and many former Shogun leaders were later given positions of responsibility under the new government. * The Boshin War testifies to the advanced state of moderni- zation already achieved by Japan barely fourteen years after its opening to the West, the already high involvement of Western nations, especially Great Britain and France in the country's politics, and the rather turbulent installation of Imperial power. Over time, the war has been romanticized by Japanese and others who view the Meiji Restoration as a "bloodless revolution," despite the number of casualties. Various dramatizations of the war have been made in Japan, and elements of the conflict were incorporated into the 2003 American film The Last Samurai. * The work is a series of nine matching panels in vertical Oban format, each with a number i.e. 1-9, with two title cartouches, the first on page 1, the second on page five. Of historical importance, was the actual burning of Kaneji shrine, known then as the most important Buddhist Temple during the Tokugawa Shogunate. It was rebuilt, but this image is perhaps the most original remaining relic of the former glory and true nature of the actual shrine. [Liberally quoted from Wikipedia] * The battle was conducted during a rain storm, and the prints show the streaks of ran falling in silver giving realism to the overall work. The sky area has been delicately mica dusted to give a shimmering starry effect. The two forces are uniformed in greatly differing ways: the Imperial soldiers are in "modern" Western style uniforms, with back packs and rifles with bayonets drawn, while the Imperial opposition were in traditional Samurai warrior uniform, sporting their famed Samurai swords. In panel seven, the Imperial forces were being over-run by the opposition soldiers and they began to commit suicide rather than be killed or captured. One view shows an Imperial Samurai disemboweling himself in the traditional posture with his sword and cutting his jugular, while another uses his toe to shoot himself in the head. A dramatic insight to the brutality of this war. * BIBLIOGRAPHY: L. Roberts: DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS, p.204. - * General Sadahide References: K. Nonogami; BUN MEI KAI KA NISHIKI E SHU: COLOR PRINTS OF THE LATE TOKUGAWA EARLY MEIJI PERIODS IN THE NONOGAMI COLLECTION. - T. Tamba: REFLECTIONS OF THE CULTURES OF YOKOHAMA IN THE PORT OPENING. - Kanagawa Kenritsu Hakubutsukan: YOKOHAMA UKIYOE TO SORATOBU ESHI GOUNTE SADAHIDE. * Color scans can be sent by email. Images displayed may not be the actual copy in stock for sale at any given time; if you want to see the exact image of the book or edition in stock, please request this by email and an image will be returned to you by attachment. * * * * BUY WITH * * * * SHIPPING: WE SHIP WORLD WIDE * * * * * The shipping costs displayed for our books on ZVAB are ONLY AN ESTIMATE !!! * ACTUAL costs are based book weight, destination and value. * We will inform you of shipping costs and options once you select the book. **FOREIGN: We usually ship by registered/insured airmail to customers abroad. **DOMESTIC: We ship to USA customers by UPS/FEDEX or U.S. MAIL, appropriate insurance/registry and signature required will appply. ***** Please inquire if you have any questions regarding shipping or payments .

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