Kiyochika - Mirror of Army and Navy Heroes

Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915)

Date: 1895
Publisher: Inoue Kichijirō
Genre: Ukiyo-e, Senso-e
Medium: Woodblock Print  /  Ōban tate-e (37 × 25 cm)

From the series Mirror of Army and Navy Heroes (Rikukaigunjin Kōmei Kagami). This print portrays Captain Kani Ichita during the assault on Two Dragon Hill at Port Arthur in the Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895). According to contemporary accounts, Kani, weakened by dysentery, collapsed within roughly one hundred yards of the enemy position and was unable to lead his men in the final advance. Although removed to a field hospital, he reportedly returned to the site a week later and committed seppuku, unable to reconcile what he regarded as a personal failure.

Before his death, he left a written statement:

“At this place, thinking that the fall of the enemy fortress was imminent, I allowed myself to halt because of illness. The momentary rest is the mistake of my life. I leave this letter to vindicate the honor of my name.”

Kiyochika depicts the officer standing resolutely in the rain, embodying the values of endurance and self-sacrifice that the series sought to commemorate. Mirror of Army and Navy Heroes consisted of twenty-five designs honoring figures from the conflict, reflecting the surge of patriotic imagery during the war.

Condition: Very good color and condition. Not backed.