Title: Kusunoki Masashigeko Jisan Koryu Shita? (Kusunoki Masashige’s Self-Praise of the Lonely Dragon Tongue), Circa 1330-1336. A Rare Silk Hata-Jirushi War Banner, attributed to a Famed Samurai of the Nanboku-chō Period
Author: Stated Attribution to Kusunoki Masashige; Artist of the Masashige War Banner
Condition: Very Good
An extremely rare Late Kamakura to Early Muromachi Period, mid 14th century silk war banner, also known as a Hata-Jirushi, entitled Kusunoki Masashigeko Jisan Koryu Shita, or Kusunoki Masashige’s Self-Praise of the Lonely Dragon Tongue.
The war banner has a stated attribution to military commander and samurai Kusunoki Masashige (1294-1336), the calligraphy written in his more formal style, and bearing a rather unique artist signature. There are extremely notable similarities compared to another war banner with an attribution to Masashige, last held at Minatogawa Shrine and recorded as a Shrine Treasure, with the same exact artist seal. As the shrine has not digitized its full holdings, I can only find a 20th century image reproduction at the Tokyo Museum Collection, recorded as object 6627443.
Having compared to existing documents written by Masashige and other manuscript material produced by him, I can find no other documented examples of paintings or any other type of art produced in this manner, other than the shrine example. At the very least, it seems that our example was certainly produced by the same artist of the Minatogawa Shrine banner and is the only other known example. Whether or not however, both banners were definitively produced by Masashige himself is however unproven, as the Shrine does not appear to have confirmed the attribution, though they are known for having a number of legitimate letters and documents penned by Masashige.
Kusunoki Masashige fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō War to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and restore power in Japan to the Imperial Court. He was a leading figure of the Kenmu Restoration in 1333, and remained loyal to the unpopular Emperor Go-Daigo after Ashikaga Takauji began to reverse the restoration in the Nanboku-chō wars three years later. Kusunoki attacked Takauji in Settsu at the command of the Emperor, an act of obedience sure to result in defeat. He performed seppuku at the Battle of Minatogawa in 1336 and today is highly regarded as one of "Japan's three loyal retainers" along with Fujifusa Madenokoji and Taira no Shigemori.
Although this painting was sold privately along with others at the behest of a private family estate, it was disclosed that the owner of the collection was a historical researcher once serving as the director of libraries and museums in Hyogo Prefecture. With that in mind, it is highly possible that this individual was Yusuke Nakahara, the famed Japanese art critic, curator, scholar, lecturer, university president, art festival organizer, and cultural administrator. As he did have a substantial library, it is no surprised that his collection could have also contained several hundred paintings.
The painting has been neatly mounted onto a brocade decorated kakejiku (hanging scroll), with jikusaki (knobs) made of lacquered wood. There is a wooden box to accompany the scroll, and an Edo or Meiji Period wrapping cloth, both preserving the contents.
One silk banner mounted on a kakejiku (hanging scroll), 162 x 31.7 cm full size, 89 x 21.5 cm main painting. The knobs are not included as part of the dimensions.
This painting is in very good shape, with a few creases and light wear to the banner. Some of the decorative brocade to the borders has worn away, and there are several early repairs to the rear of the mounting.