- HIGHLY UNUSUAL PIECE OF JAPANESE EPHEMERA -

KIYOCHIKA [Kobayashi, Japanese woodblock artist considered the last great master of the ukiyo-e print, 1847-1915); FIRST SINO-JAPANESE WAR (armed conflict between China and Japan, principally over influence in Korea, July 1894-April 1895).

Unusual Japanese propaganda woodblock cartoon mocking Chinese general Ye Chih-chao fleeing the attack on the west Korean fortress of Asan dressed as a woman, with original calligraphic 'mirror writing' on the rear. 

Original woodblock on paper, printed in colours, from the series 'Nippon banzai! Hyakusen hyakusho' ['Hurrah for Japan! One Hundred Selections, One Hundred Laughs']. Titled and captioned in the top part, and down the left side, and with signature and seal bottom right. Dated October 1894. Text signed with pseudonym 'Koppi Dojin' ['the bone and pelt expert'], and illustration by Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915). Size: 37.2cm x 25cm.

Very Good condition. A few small chips to paper along the bottom edge, and less so elsewhere. Light creasing and handling marks. Please ask if you require a more detailed condition report, or view gallery images.

An original Japanese political cartoon from Kiyochika's series titled 'Hurrah for Japan! One Hundred Selections, One Hundred Laughs' [a parody of a phrase taken from Chinese military literature - 'A hundred battles, a hundred victories!'], which unusually has contemporary manuscript calligraphy on the rear of the sheet.

The cartoon shows General Ye Chih-ch'ao of China, who was in charge of the west Korean fortress of Asan. The fortress was attacked by the Japanese on 29th July 1894 and fell he following day, but Ye Chih-ch'ao had already fled, an action for which he later described as a tactical move.

Here, Ye is shown taking a last look at his female disguise in the mirror, while the soldier holding it has the shield Nige-tai, or 'Flight-Army' on his tunic. Asan fortress, meanwhile, is being overthrown in the background.

Ye was later tried and condemned in Peking, and was executed in 1896.

On the rear is some original manuscript calligraphy, blotted into a mirror image to show the reverse impressions of the characters. Presumably done in calligraphy practice, the impression being received from the still wet calligraphy paper. As writing they are simply repetitions of characters and have no meaning as sentences.

Kyochika studied Western art under Charles Wigman and traditional Japanese art with Kawanake Gyosai and SHibata Zeshin. His greatest woodcut successes were in the 1876-81 period, but his 1894-96 prints also did well. After the war, he concentrated on views of Tokyo's rapid development. He is considered the last great master of the ukiyo-e print.