Sixteen Stories of Musashi-bô Benkei

(Jûroku Musashi-bô Benkei, 十六武蔵坊)

c. 1848-1850

 

Musashi-bô Benkei was a warrior-monk who served Yoshitsune.  The former was known as Oniwaka Maru in childhood.  In spite of the title of this series, Robinson only described six designs, and it is unlikely that any more exist.  The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

 

Kuniyoshi -  16 Stories of Musashi-bo Benkei (S68

 

Scene: Oniwaka beating two young monastery acolytes, with an unwound scroll of text draped over him

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Robinson: S68.1

     

 

I am grateful to Andrea Casati for this alternate state of the above design with a blue title cartouche and no publisher’s seal

 

No image available

 

Scene: Oniwaka shaving his head

Publisher:

Robinson: S68.2

 

 

Scene: Oniwaka and the monster carp

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Robinson: S68.3

Kuniyoshi -  16 Stories of Musashi-bo Benkei (S68

 

Scene: Oniwaka holding a straight razor and looking down a well

Publisher: Daikoku-ya Heikichi

Robinson: S68.4

Kuniyoshi -  16 Stories of Musashi-bo Benkei (S68

 

Scene: Benkei and a leaping magic fox in the snow

Publisher: Daikoku-ya Heikichi

Robinson: S68.5

Kuniyoshi -  16 Stories of Musashi-bo Benkei (S68

 

Scene: Benkei in formal robes seizing Tosa-bô Shôshun by the back of his neck

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Robinson: S68.6

 

“Robinson” refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement.

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