Hino Ashin Swinging on a Bamboo, from an untitled series of historical subjects

A young warrior grasps a stalk of bamboo, which bends in an arc to slow his fall. This illustrates a moment in the legend of a 14th-century hero, Hino Kumawaka 日野熊若, or Hino Ashin 日野阿新. He was the son of a high counselor to Emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339) and in some stories is linked romantically with the emperor. When Kumawaka’s father is unjustly accused, exiled, and executed, he vows revenge. After killing the man who executed his father, Hino is pursued by the man’s forces but escapes by swinging over a moat on a long bamboo stalk, seen here. As in the story of Mèng Zōng, seen in a nearby print, Kumawaka’s actions were often linked with the virtue of filial piety, or respect for one’s parents.

Yōshū Chikanobu was educated in calligraphy and painting as part of his training as a samurai. During the turbulent civil war at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, he fought on the losing side, loyal to the Shōgun. After the war, he pursued a career in art, studying in the print studios of several prominent designers, including Kuniyoshi and Kunisada. He became one of the foremost print artists of the late 19th century, best known for his designs of beautiful women (美人画 bijinga) and warriors (武者絵 musha-e).