Copped and cropped from Nishigaki Bunko
Taiwan Shinbun
Botan seibatsu sekimon shingeki
Battle at Stonegate

Yoshitoshi's version of the Battle of Stonegate was published a month after Yoshiiku's triptych. There is no text, and while Yoshitoshi is credited as the senior designer "in response to a request" (oju), presumably of the publisher, Toshimitsu, a disciple who assisted him with other war triptychs during the early 1870s, is credited as "johitsu" (M), meaning "helping brusher" or assistant drawer.

This print is shown in black and white in an artcile by Sato Kenji in the Nyuusu no tanjo exhibition catalog and on the website version (Kinoshia and Yoshimi 1999). In his article (page 233), Sato says this, in reference to Yoshiiku's TNS-712 triptych.

Yoshitoshi made a triptych of the same war. The form is different from the basic newspaper nishikie style created by the Tokyo nichinichi shinbun nishikie, but because it is thought to be something that came before Yoshitoshi became involved with the Yubin hochi shinbun nishikie, it should probably be placed in a somewhat broader context [than news nishikie]. The fact that [he] titled it Taiwan shinbun [Taiwan news] is also deeply interesting.

The approval seal on Yoshitoshi's Battle at Stonegate triptych reads November 1874. The earlist approval seals on his YHS nishikie are for February 1975.

There is a highly detailed image of this triptych on Tsuchiya Reiko's CD-ROM (Bunsei Shoin 2000:OTR0005.pdf). For more details on the print, and related prints, see "TNS Cherubs and Seals" in the Articles section.

A detailed image, without margins, is also shown in Volume 7 of Konishi's Bakumatsu-Meiji study (1977:14-15). (WW)


Print information

Size oban triptych
Title: Botan seibatsu sekimon shingeki
Approval seal: 1874-11
Drawer: [Oju] Taiso Yoshitoshi
Assistant drawer: [Johitsu] Kosai Toshimitsu
Carver: Not yet identified
Publisher: Not yet identified
Image: Nishigaki Bunko


Principal sources

Nishigaki Bunko
Tsuchiya 2000
Konishi Vol. 7 (1977:14-15) [color]

Sato Kenji, in Nyuusu no Tanjo, Kinoshita and Yoshimi 1999:233, Figure 259 [black and white]