1868 Japanese Ishikawa Goemon Ninja Samurai Color Illustrated Robin Hood Japan

1868 Japanese Ishikawa Goemon Ninja Samurai Color Illustrated Robin Hood Japan

A rare, 19th-century Japanese woodblock print of “Ishikawa Goemon Ichidaiki, ” or “The Life of Ishikawa Goemon,”. It tells the folk story of Ishikawa Goemon, a legendary ninja thief who lived during the late 16th century in Japan. Goemon is said to have been a Robin Hood-like figure, stealing from the wealthy and giving to the poor. The book is historical fiction, notable for its colorful descriptions of Goemon’s exploits and has been adapted into numerous stage plays, films, and other media. Goemon’s famous death scene of being boiled alive after attempting to assassinate Hideyoshi the feudal lord for the death of his wife contains conflicting accounts, with some saying he held his son aloft while he boiled alive and his son was forgiven of his father’s crimes, and others saying that he plunged his son into the bottom to kill him quickly and then held him aloft to force them to face their atrocity.

This rare undated edition is written in the typical handwritten column format with illustrations of ninja, attacks, samurai, courtesans, weapons, and the famous death scene of Goemon!

Item number: #30360

Price: $599

Unknown

(The Life of Ishikawa Goemon) (Ishikawa Goemon Ichidaiki) 石川五右衛門一代記下(いしかわごえもにちだいき)

[Edo: Meiji 1868]

Details:

• Collation: Complete with all pages; 2 volumes in 1
• References:
  • Keio University, Japanese Culture Through Rare Books
  • Hori, Ichiro. “Ishikawa Goemon Ichidai-ki.” Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten
• Language: Japanese
• Binding: Softcover; tight and secure
• Size: ~7in X 4.5in (17.5cm x 11.5cm)
• Quite scarce

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30360