52 Adachi Ginkō 1853 – 1908 Scene from “The Chronicle of the Eight Dog Warriors of Satomi”

publisher: Kaisokuya

This triptych depicts a dramatic scene from the popular epic Nansō Satomi Hakkenden (The Story of the Eight Dog Warriors of Satomi), a favorite subject of kabuki theatre and late 19th-century woodblock prints. The actors portraying the “dog heroes” are identified in the red name cartouches: from left – Bandō Shinsui (poetic name of Hikosaburō V., 1856–1877), Ichikawa Sadanji I (1864–1904), Nakamura Shikan IV (1860–1899), and Onoe Kikugorō V (1868–1903).

Adachi Ginkō, also signing as Shōsai or Shōunsai, was active between 1874 and 1897 and ranks among the prominent representatives of the late Utagawa school. His work includes kabuki scenes, historical battle prints, and later journalistic illustrations from the Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895). Stylistically, he followed Toyohara Kunichika, closely emulating his expressive actor portraits, facial stylization, and vivid Meiji-era color palette.