Hangakujo 1885

Curator: Up next, we have a look at Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s woodblock print titled "Hangakujo", created around 1885. Editor: It strikes me immediately – the air of quiet strength in her face amidst the energetic pose. It's as though she is steeling herself before entering the fray. Curator: Yoshitoshi really was the master of ukiyo-e, wasn’t he? This print showcases a scene of Hangaku Gozen, a female warrior known for her courage. Editor: The symbols in her armor! Look at the circular designs adorning the side piece, possibly evoking protection through cosmic forces. It seems almost understated against the chaos of her forward momentum, don't you think? A juxtaposition between spiritual defense and military offense. Curator: Absolutely! Hangaku defied the shogunate's forces during the Kamakura period, her presence becoming legendary. She is a really complex, and maybe even, a contradictory character in Japanese history. Her choice to remarry a man from the very clan she opposed later in life adds layers of ambiguity, reflecting that reality isn't simple as loyalty or betrayal. Editor: You've got my brain whirling! Does this image then invite the viewer to embrace those dualities, to acknowledge the complex, even contradictory elements within all historical figures and, dare I say, ourselves? Her story mirrors how society struggles to reconcile the heroic with the human. Curator: Precisely, and the fact that Yoshitoshi created this during the Meiji Restoration, when traditional values were being re-evaluated, offers even richer context. The tension that underpinned society. Yoshitoshi invites us into it! It is always more exciting when we aren’t just looking, we’re empathizing. Editor: Absolutely. And in his print of Hangakujo we don’t just see the warrior; we sense the historical tide in which she struggled. So powerful, so inspiring. Curator: Yoshitoshi managed to pull threads from different parts of our historical loom. Editor: Leaving us something much more enduring than ink and wood.