Work by Uemon Yamada

Japanese: 山田右衛門作 - やまだ・うえもんさく

Year of birth: Year of birth and death unknown. A Nanban painter from the early Edo period. Also known as "Emosaku." Origins and career unknown. A long-time retainer of the Arima clan, lords of Shimabara, he is said to have served as an artist to the Matsukura clan, who had newly entered Shimabara, after Arima Naozumi, who had apostatized, was transferred to Hyuga (Miyazaki Prefecture). When the Shimabara Rebellion broke out in 1637, he was forced to join the uprising, with his wife and children taken hostage, and barricaded himself in Hara Castle. He betrayed the camp of his former lord, the Arima clan, who were on the campaign, and was found out and imprisoned in the castle. He was rescued when the castle fell, and was subsequently taken to Edo by Matsudaira Nobutsuna, who had been involved in putting down the rebellion, and lived in Nobutsuna's residence. What happened to him in his later years is unknown. Although there are no confirmed works by Uemon, the castle flag from the Shimabara Rebellion, "The Flag with Angels in Praise of the Eucharist" (kept at the Amakusa Hondo Christian Museum), is said to have been made by Uemon or one of his disciples.

(Sanae Murai)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

生年：生没年不詳
江戸前期の南蛮絵師。「えもさく」ともいう。出自,経歴不明。島原の領主有馬氏譜代の臣で,棄教した有馬直純の日向(宮崎県)転封後,新たに島原に入部した松倉氏に絵師として仕えたらしい。寛永14(1637)年,島原の乱が勃発すると,妻子を人質にとられるなど強制されて一揆に参加,原城に籠城。出陣した旧主有馬氏の陣に内通し,これが発覚して城中に幽閉される。落城のときに救出され,その後,鎮圧に当たった松平信綱に連れられ江戸に行き,信綱の邸内に住む。晩年については不明。右衛門作の作品として確認されるものはないが,島原の乱の城中旗「聖体讃仰天使図旗」(天草本渡キリシタン館保管)は右衛門作または門下の作といわれる。

(村井早苗)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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