Meiji 1904 Ukiyo-e "Prince Kikumaro Aboard the Yakumo" by Takahashi Yoshikuni (Approximately 38X75CM)

Very good antique condition. Slight insect damage is present along the right edge of the center panel, but the remainder of the triptych shows no noticeable insect or water damage. The colors remain exceptionally vivid and the woodblock lines are sharp and clearly defined. Even the smallest details remain crisp when examined closely.

This original 1904 (Meiji 37) color woodblock triptych by Takahashi Yoshikuni (高橋美邦 / 美邦) is titled 八雲御乗組山階宮菊麿王殿下御奮戦之図, or Prince Yamashina-no-miya Kikumaro in Fierce Battle Aboard the Yakumo.

The dramatic three-sheet composition depicts Prince Yamashina Kikumaro (山階宮菊麿王) aboard the Imperial Japanese Navy armored cruiser Yakumo (八雲) during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). The prince stands prominently on deck as Japanese sailors operate the ship's artillery amid dense smoke and naval gunfire.

Prince Kikumaro was a member of the Japanese Imperial family as well as a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy. His presence aboard Yakumo provided Meiji artists with a powerful combination of Imperial imagery and contemporary military subject matter.

Published in the opening year of the Russo-Japanese War, the triptych belongs to the tradition of Japanese sensō-e (戦争絵). These prints brought images of distant battles to the Japanese public through dramatic compositions emphasizing military action, modern weaponry, and individual heroism.

The print is specifically dated Meiji 37 (1904) in Japanese collection and specialist records. An example of the same composition is preserved in the Tamagawa University Museum of Education, demonstrating the historical significance of the design.

The exceptionally detailed depiction of the ship's deck, naval artillery, uniforms, equipment, smoke, and crew makes this a striking visual record of how Japan's modern navy was represented through traditional woodblock printing at the beginning of the twentieth century.