Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861)
The Taira Ghosts Arising from the Sea to Attack Yoshitsune’s Ship
(Daimotsu-no-ura Yoshitsune shujû nanpû ni deaite Heike no bôrei mifune wo kutsugaesan to suru zu
 
Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Publisher: Kiyomizu-ya
Date: 1845 (Late Edo period)
Format: Woodblock print triptych
Size:
– Each sheet: 25.2 × 36.5 cm (ōban)
– Total width when displayed: approx. 75.5 cm
 
Description
This powerful and dramatic triptych depicts the vengeful ghosts of the defeated Taira (Heike) clan rising violently from the sea at Daimotsu-no-ura to attack the ship of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.  Spectral warriors erupt from crashing waves, weapons raised, transforming the ocean itself into a supernatural battlefield during a violent lightning storm.  
 
Kuniyoshi was unrivaled in his ability to merge historical warfare, maritime chaos, and the supernatural, and this work stands as one of his most visceral ghost-battle compositions.  The swirling sea, contorted spirits, and doomed vessel exemplify his mastery of the warrior-print style—dark, kinetic, and intense.
 
Taira ghost scenes are among the most sought-after subjects in Kuniyoshi’s oeuvre, prized by collectors of samurai history, Japanese ghost lore, and dramatic seascape, ukiyo-e triptychs. Complete triptychs of this subject are incredibly scarce.
 
Condition
Edo-period wear, including some wear and soiling, and slight repairs to top reverse side of the picture.  Despite this, the composition remains strong, legible, and visually commanding when displayed.
 
Why This Work Matters
This is a decorative and hardcore warrior-ghost triptych—violent, atmospheric, and historically loaded.  These Heike onryō scenes resonate strongly with collectors who appreciate the darker side of Edo Period visual culture, where tragedy, vengeance, and the supernatural collide.