"Hakoomaru and Yawata Shichiro" - Series: Rough Tales of the Floating World in Eastern Brocades (1867) by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Dimensions: 14 3/16 x 9 3/4 in. (36 x 24.7 cm.)

About: The series "Rough Tales of the Floating World Told on Eastern Brocades" is a collection of prints by Yoshitoshi accompanied by summarized tales contained in white booklet-shaped cartouches. A significant amount of the prints in this collection were adapted from popular books, or Kabuki plays at the time; the subjects of most now obscure today. Not a lot can be found about "Hakoomaru and Yawata Shichiro," but what is known is that the Hakoomaru was a childhood name of Sago no Goro. Sago no Goro was a famous samurai known for his tale about his quest for vengeance on behalf of his slain father. On the other hand, the woman choking him is what seems to be some vengeful spirit of a possible past lover or victim, as seen by the name Yawata preceding her actual name. Yawata is also the name of a forbidden forest in Japan associated with ghosts, poison gas, and mazes. With that said, it is common that some vengeful spirits have "Yawata" proceeding their previous names. My interpretation of the above image is that the woman was a victim of Sago's vengeance-fueled quest, and now she has come for her vengeance. Sago canonically dies after fulfilling his quest by killing his father's killer and then is put to death after capture. Since Yoshitoshi is known for his love of challenging Edo principles/culture, I believe that he is expressing how even the most honorable and strong man can be slain by his own mistakes. Yoshitoshi refers to Sago by his childhood name, belittling him, and illustrates him falling victim to the results of his actions. The resulting message is similar to that of "what goes around comes around," no matter who you are. Image courtesy of the MFA, Boston. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/462436