Sixteen Stories of Musashi-bô Benkei

(Jûroku Musashi-bô Benkei, 十六武蔵坊)

Publishers: Jôshû-ya Kinzô and Daikoku-ya Heikichi

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 series may have been inspired by Bakin’s novel Sixteen New Stories of Musashibô (新研十六武蔵坊), which was published in 1804. The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

	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 NOTE: Robinson’s description of S68.2 seems odd, as the description could also apply to S68.4.
	Scene: Oniwaka and the monster carp Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô Robinson: S68.3 I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.
	Another state of the above design with a yellow title cartouche and no publisher’s seal
	Scene: Oniwaka, with a partially shaved head, holding a straight razor and looking down a well with a whetstone and a hank of hair on the ground Publisher: Daikoku-ya Heikichi Robinson: S68.4
	I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state of the above design.
	Scene: Benkei and a leaping magic fox in the snow Publisher: Daikoku-ya Heikichi Robinson: S68.5
	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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