Ikaiei Sentō no Rikuguntai Hyakushaku Gake(?) no Hōrui wo Shimu
after Ichine Eiichi
Category
Art / Prints
Date
circa 1895
Materials
Glass, Paper, Wood
Measurements
345 x 235 mm; 525 mm (Height); 395 mm (Width)
Order this imageCollection
Cragside, Northumberland
NT 1226414
Summary
Woodblock print, ink and pigments on paper, the middle section of a triptych entitled Ikaiei Sentō no Rikuguntai Hyakushaku Gake(?) no Hōrui wo Shimu (At Weihaiwei, an Advance Unit of the Army Seizes a Fort on a 100-foot Cliff), showing an episode during the battle of Weihaiwei during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–5), after Ichino Eiichi, probably 1895. Depicting Japanese soldiers in black uniforms moving through a snow-covered landscape, an officer on horseback with a drawn sword in the foreground. See NT 1226402 for a similar battle scene#.
Full description
The battle of Weihaiwei took place between the 20th of January and the 12th of February 1895. This was a decisive battle that ultimately ensured Japan’s victory against China. Although both Japan and China had Elswick built ships in their navies, the close relationship already established between Lord Armstrong and Japan granted them the superior ships and armaments (Heald, 2010, pp. 200-206). The sophisticated ships and weapons made at Elswick largely contributed to Japan’s victory (Heald, 2010, p. 206). This print was gifted to the Armstrongs after the First World War by Marquess Tokugawa Yorisada (1892–1954), a friend of the family. It is likely that it was given to the family to commemorate Lord Armstrong’s contribution to Japan’s military success. Ichino Eiichi is a fairly obscure print artist, with only a few prints from around 1894-5 being known.
Provenance
Armstrong collection. Transferred by the Treasury to The National Trust in 1977 via the National Land Fund, aided by 3rd Baron Armstrong of Bamburgh and Cragside (1919 - 1987).
Makers and roles
after Ichine Eiichi, artist