Bidspirit auction | Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Plate 14 from

Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Plate 14 from the Series ''Chuko meiyo kijin den'' - Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Plate 14 from the series ''Chuko meiyo kijin den''. Japan, Edo period, circa 1845. Color woodblock print (Nishiki-e) on Washi, sheet size 33.5 × 23.3 cm, passepartout 48.5 × 33.8 cm. Title: Chuko meiyo kijin den (Stories of Loyalty and Reputation of Famous Personalities). Signed and stamped lower right, signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga. Publisher: Ise-ichi. Censor's seal: Kinugasa 1845. The sheet is loose, upper right and left corners firmly glued. Condition: slightly browned, signs of age, wormhole upper left. Plate 14 of the series ''Chuko meiyo kijin den''. Title of the plate: Sugimoto Sakubei before Masatura. Sugimoto Sakubei kneels before the powerful Masatura. He holds a handkerchief to restrain his tears - a strong symbol of remorse, humility, or emotional overwhelm. The body language emphasizes the hierarchy and moral tension between both figures. The series was published in 1845 and depicts historical, legendary, or morally exemplary figures in dramatic moments. Kuniyoshi used such series to convey values such as loyalty, sense of duty, honor, and moral steadfastness.