Surrealistic Chess World

A Japanese woodblock print depicting samurai warrior Katagiri Katsumoto who served the Minamoto clan and was famous as one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake, personal bodyguards to Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583.  The young samurai Kimura Shigenari stands beside him, looking up with a concerned expression as Katsumoto receives discomforting news that the mother of one of the shoguns that he is protecting has accused him of disloyalty and has made plans to have him killed due to the fall of the Toyotomi clan to the Tokugawa Ieyasu clan, loosing most of their territory.  Shigenari is worried about what will happen after he leaves the shogun's castle which is seen in the background and is most likely identified as Osaka castle. This woodblock print is one of a series of prints from the Foundations of Morality and Success series. With the inscriptions upper right. Stamped with a red seal lower right. Circa 1902.  Matted and framed unlike many other prints. This antique Japanese woodblock framed print of Samurai Katagiri Katsumoto By Mizuno Toshikata is in good condition for its age and is highly collectible by Japanese art and militaria collectors. Dimensions: Frame: 55.2cm x 43.8 cm /21.75 inches x 17.25 inches Image: 35.5 cm x 22.8 cm / 14 x 9 inches