Gallery

Prints of the Edo police

Kabuki and storytelling prints often showed police officers at the moment of arrest — a jutte raised, a suspect cornered on a rooftop. These five prints from Dr. Cunningham’s collection are shown with the notes he published beside them. The prints are nineteenth-century works; the photographs are his.Source A11 Source A13 Source A9

Woodblock print of a policeman in Edo-period dress raising a jutte above his head

Iwami Shinsaburo

Toyokuni · 19th century

This doshin is wearing a typical Edo Period (1600-1868) costume of a Japanese policeman. Note the jutte (iron truncheon) that he raises above his head in his right hand. An original Japanese woodblock print, Iwami Shinsaburo, by Toyokuni, 19th century. Dimensions: 10 x 14 inches. Impression: Excellent. Condition: Very Good. A few worm-holes in line with left edge and lined by Japanese paper.Source A11
— Don Cunningham, collection notes

Woodblock print of a figure gripping a jutte at the waterfront, fishing boats and a full moon behind

Ichikawa Gonjuro

Kunisada (as attributed) · Meiji 22 (as stated)

A doshin patrolling along the docks of Edo. Note the jutte (iron truncheon) that he carries in his right hand and the small fishing boats anchored just off shore. An original Japanese woodblock print, Ichikawa Gonjuro, by Kunisada. Signatures and Seals: Signed by Kunisada. The publisher is Shirobei Okura from the Kanda District. The date is Meiji 22. Dimensions: 10 x 14 inches. Impression: Excellent. Condition: Very Good. The artist, Kunisada, is considered one of the most famous 19th century Nishiki-e painters for woodblock prints.Source A11
— Don Cunningham, collection notes

Note. Meiji 22 corresponds to 1889, decades after the 1825 Kunisada diptych shown below. The attribution and date are reproduced as published and should be checked against a print catalogue.

Left sheet of a woodblock diptych: a police officer on temple roof tiles raises a jutte

Right sheet of a woodblock diptych: a warrior on curved temple roof tiles swings a sword; overlaid text reads “The Cunningham Collection”

Hakkenden: the rooftop fight (diptych)

Utagawa Kunisada I · 1825

The diptych illustrates the famous rooftop fight scene between Inuzuka, the free-spirited rebel (right), and Inutsuna, a police officer sent to capture him (left). At this moment of the fight, Inazuka is fighting for control on the slippery temple rooftop, while Inatsuna raises his jutte (iron truncheon) to strike. Beside him is a huge roof ornament, a giant dragon fish whose open mouth seems to be biting down on the crossbeam. Two original Japanese woodblock prints by Utagawa Kunisada I, diptych printed in 1825. Signatures and Seals: Signed by Gototei Kunisada." The publisher is Sen-Ichi. There is a kiwame seal (used 1790-1840). Dimensions: 19 x 14 inches, total. Impression: Excellent. Condition: Good-Very Good. Binding holes, backed with old Japanese calligraphy paper, creased and reinforced corners.Source A13
— Don Cunningham, collection notes

Woodblock print: two officers try to arrest a swordsman on temple roof tiles, one with a jutte, one with chains

Inazuka Shiro

Ichiyusai Kunitoshi · 1830s

Another view of two police officers attempting to arrest Inazuka, the free-spirited rebel, on the temple rooftop. One officer confronts Inazuka with a jutte (iron truncheon) in his right hand while blocking Inazuka's sword strike with his left hand on his elbow. Another officer wraps the dog warrior in chains before slipping and falling on the roof tiles. An original Japanese woodblock print, Inazuka Shiro, by Ichiyusai Kunitoshi, printed in the 1830s. Dimensions: 10 x 14 inches. Impression: Excellent. Condition: Excellent.Source A13
— Don Cunningham, collection notes

Woodblock print: police assistants carrying long arresting poles in the foreground, an attack inside a castle behind

Chushingura

Yoshitara (as spelled on the page) · 1852

In the foreground, the police are dispatched to arrest Lord Asano, while in the background, the attack on Kira while in the shogun's castle is depicted. Three komono (non-samurai police assistants) on the left are carrying torimono sandogu the three main arresting tools, the sodegurame (sleeve entangler), the tsukubo (a T-shaped polearm), and the sasumata (a U-shaped polearm). An original Japanese woodblock print, Chushingura, by Yoshitara, printed in 1852. Dimensions: 14 x 10 inches. Impression: Very Good Condition: Very Good.Source A9
— Don Cunningham, collection notes

Two further prints described on the same pages — hand-numbered reproductions of Hokushu’s Torite (c. 1822) — were not preserved in the web archive and cannot be shown.Source A11

Sources for this page

A9D. Cunningham, woodblock notes: “Chushingura”. e-budokai.com/woodblock/chushingura.htm · capture 2009-01-11 · Original organizational material
A11D. Cunningham, woodblock notes: “Doshin”. e-budokai.com/woodblock/doshin.htm · capture 2009-01-11 · Original organizational material
A13D. Cunningham, woodblock notes: “Hakkenden”. e-budokai.com/woodblock/hakkenden.htm · capture 2009-01-11 · Original organizational material
D36Owner’s confirmation of permission to republish the organization’s and Dr. Cunningham’s texts, photographs and graphics. project record, docs/rights-and-attribution.md · 2026-11-03 · Owner-supplied file

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