Sanctuary

The Piece
Cut oversized in heavyweight beige cotton with a soft, structured drape. Kuniyoshi’s image of Tokiwa Gozen sheltering her children from the snow is reworked across the back with a fluorescent orange Killin’ Luxury™ intervention.

The Artwork
The back print is based on Tokiwa Gozen from the series Stories of Wise and Virtuous Women (Kenjo reppuden) (ca. 1841–1842) by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. The woodblock print shows Tokiwa Gozen moving through deep snow with her three sons gathered beneath her robes, using her own clothing and body to protect them from the cold.

The Story
After Minamoto no Yoshitomo’s defeat in the Heiji conflict of 1159–1160, Tokiwa fled with their three sons. The youngest child held against her body was Ushiwakamaru, who would later become the celebrated warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune. The image became a recurring subject in Japanese art because of the intimacy of the gesture: Tokiwa creates shelter around the children while still moving through the storm.

The Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861) was one of the major ukiyo-e artists of nineteenth-century Japan. Famous for warriors, legends and dramatic narratives, he was equally capable of quieter scenes built around posture, fabric and human expression.

The PHAVOS™ Interpretation
The name Sanctuary comes directly from the centre of the image: Tokiwa wrapping her children into the small protected space beneath her robes. PHAVOS™ adds a fluorescent orange Killin’ Luxury™ mark across the nineteenth-century print, introducing a deliberately contemporary, disruptive layer while leaving that protective gesture visible underneath.

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