Satomi Hakkenden (The Legend of the Eight Dog-Warriors of the Satomi), Gosōtei Hirosada

Archive Label date unknown: This four-sheet set shows a scene from The Legend of the Eight Satomi Dog-Warriors in Nansō. Eight heroes from the Satomi clan of the fifteenth century are bound together by circumstances of birth- each was born with a bead (seen floating at the top center of the eight traditional virtues). One of the Satomi warriors is represented at the left in this scene from a kabuki play, with a villainous foe at extreme right. Hirosada was the most prolific of the Osaka printmakers and specialized in scenes from kabuki plays. He was so strongly influenced by the popular Edo (now Tokyo) artist Utagawa Kunisada, who visited Osaka in 1821, that he incorporated part of Kunisada's name into his own art name. Archive Label date unknown: The Nansō Satomi Hakkenden (Legend of the Eight Dogs of the Satomi in Nansō) is an epic novel in nine volumes divided into 106 parts written from 1814 to 1842 by Takizawa Bakin (1767-1848). Set in the fifteenth century, the novel centers around the revival of the Satomi clan in the region of Nansō (present-day Chiba and Ibaragi prefectures) under the leadership of eight heroic warriors. The curse of a malicious woman just before her execution promises to thrust the Satomi clan into the "Realm of Beasts." Soon a beautiful Satomi princess (Princess Fuse) discovers that she has been impregnated by a dog through "spiritual intercourse." Unable to bear the thought of giving birth to the offspring of a dog, the princess plunges a dagger into her womb. A white cloud escapes from the wound and envelopes a string of eight jewels worn around her neck. The jewels are carried up to the sky, the string snaps, and the jewels are scattered in all directions. The tale then relates how fate and supernatural events bring together eight distinguished warriors, each with the Chinese character for "dog" as part of his name. The men were all born holding a jewel bearing a Chinese character for one of eight virtues: filial piety, faith, loyalty, righteousness, fraternity, wisdom, and propriety (courtesy). Reunited at last, the heroes vanquish the enemies of the Satomi. The figures in the prints are identified by labels as characters from the novel. From left to right they are: Kanamari Daisuke Takanori, one of the eight heroes; Princess Fuse (Fuse Hime); Yamanouchi Akisada, and the villain Yamashita Sadakane.