Background
The historical Sakanoue no Tamuramaro (坂 田村麻呂, 758-811) was a court noble and military leader who was commissioned by Emperor Kammu (桓武天皇 735-806) in 791 to lead an expedition against the aboriginal Ezo people of northeastern Honshû, where he then served as governor and military commander of the region. The result of his campaigns against the Ezo secured a large territory for Kyoto. In 797 he was named 'Barbarian-subduing generalissimo' (Sei-i Taishogun 征夷大将軍). Throughout his career, Tamuramaro was rewarded for his services with high-ranking civil as well as military posts. In the year of his death, he was appointed Great Counselor (Dainagon 大納言) and Minister of War (Hyôbukyô 兵部卿). Later generations of military men revered Tamuramaro as a model commander and as the second recipient of the title "shogun." Tamuramaro's name is linked with payments for construction projects at Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizu-dera, 清水寺) in the late eighth century. There is also a Nô play (author unknown) titled "Tamura" based on based on the figure and ghost of Tamura.
Design
The date of this print is estimated to the time when Shijaku relocated from Edo to Kamigata in 11/1831, initially performing at the Kyoto Shijô Kitagawa Theater. (He remained in Kamigata until 3/1835.) This mitate-e may have been prompted by Shijaku’s reappearance in Kamigata after about a decade in Edo (circa late 1822 to late 1831).
This impresson is quite fine (it was carved by the venerable Yama Kasuke 山嘉助) and the colors very well preserved. The rendering of falling snow is especially effective in this composition.
References:
- British Museum BM1916 (Left sheet only; 1906,1220,0.1121)
- Jan van Doesburg, Utagawa Sadamasu. Den Esch, Dodewaard, The Netherlands (privately published, edition of 80, 2022), p. 62, no. 4 (plate 1)
- MFA Boston (complete, 11.35278-81)
