Portrait of Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣秀吉像トヨトミヒデヨシガゾウ

Description

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-98) was the son of a humble peasant in Owari (Aichi prefecture). His original name was Kinoshita Tokichiro. Following his employment in the service of the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-82), he changed his surname to Hashiba. The assassination of Nobunaga at the hand of his own vassal Akechi Mitsuhide (1528?-82), the ‘rebel of Honnoji’, prompted Hideyoshi to pursue and defeat Mitsuhide, subsequently emerging as Nobunaga’s successor and the most powerfull of all Japan’s contending warlords. Having effectively gained control of the entire country, he was promoted to junior first grade and chancellor in July 1585. In late 1586, he changed his surname to Toyotomi.It seems certain that the portrait shown here was painted at this time, at the height of his powers and the highest ranking man in Japan – notwithstanding the emperor. Having risen from the status of commoner, this was a unique feat and one of which he clearly seems to have been proud and self-satisfied. Seated on an age-datami mat hemmed with rainbow-colored silk, a mat normally reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor, he is wearing the formal regalia of his position – a crown, a courtier’s ceremonial dress, a girdle and a ceremonial sword in an ornamental mounting around the waist, and a scepter in his hand.