Portrait of jimmu, the legendary first emperor of japan who lived in the 7th century bc. He is posed almost like the buddhist saint shôki, the demon queller and bears a mirror on his chest, perhaps an allusion to his relative amaterasu, the sun goddess. He firmly grasps his bow, which holds a powerful and unusual-looking bird perched atop it. Jimmu was associated with a 3-legged crow (yatagarasu), but this bird is golden brown and looks like a cross between a hawk and an owl. The power of jimmu overwhelms the ordinary and rather rough -looking japanese, some of whom seem to have been struck blind. This artwork is very rare. From the series: "illustrated history of great japan (dai nippon-shi ryaku zue)" by tsukioka yoshitoshi (1839-1892). The signature is of taiso yoshitoshi. The ukiyo-e features yatagarasu (八咫烏, "eight-span crow") on top of the long bow and the rising sun in the background. Date: 1880.
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