50 Toyohara Kunichika 1835 – 1900 Armor Pulling Scene from the Soga Brothers

publisher: Kamiyama Seishichi

This late triptych by Toyohara Kunichika depicts the famous scene from the legend of the Soga brothers, a symbol of loyalty, bravery, and fraternal revenge. The impetuous Soga Gorō Tokimune, believing his brother Jūrō to be in danger, prepares to rush to his aid, while his ally Asahina tries to restrain him by grabbing his armor – the two heroes engage in a struggle full of strength, tension, and emotion.

Kunichika celebrates two of the greatest kabuki actors of his time – Ichikawa Danjūrō IX (active under this name 1874–1903) as Soga Gorō Tokimune and Nakamura Shikan IV (active 1860–1899) as Asahina. Gorō, dressed in a purple robe decorated with butterfly motifs, lifts part of his armor above his head while gripping his sword, as Asahina, with vivid kumadori makeup and a green kimono featuring a crane, turns back with an intense expression.
The composition belongs to the so-called aragoto or “rough style,” characterized by bold color contrasts, expressive drawing, and monumental figures, here set against a red background adorned with family crests (mon). Kunichika here reaches the pinnacle of his mature style, blending theatrical heroism with the visual monumentality of the late Utagawa school.