108 Heroes of the Suikoden, One by One

(Suikoden gôketsu hyaku-bachi-nin no hitori, 水滸傳濠傑百八人之個)

1830, reissued in 1842

 

This series of prints is based on stories from the semi-historical Chinese novel, Suikoden (Shuihu zhuan in Chinese).  It tells of the adventures of a band of 108 rebels who sought refuge in the margins of Liangshan Marsh.  These rebel warriors sought to protect the poor and downtrodden, very much like Robin Hood’s band.  Some of the designs in this series are smaller versions of prints in Kuniyoshi’s “great” Suikoden series.  The censor for the 1830 edition was Mera Ta’ichirô, and the censor for the 1842 edition was Murata Sahei.  The prints in this series are each about 10 by 7 inches (25 by 18 centimeters), a size known as chûban.  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for assisting with this series.

 

 

Japanese name: Gyôja Bushô of Seikaken (清河縣之産武松)

Chinese name: Wu Song

Scene: Gyôja Bushô, brown-skinned and half-naked, killing a tiger with his bare hands at Keiyô Hill

Robinson: S2a.1

Censors’ seal: Not legible

Publisher’s seal: Yamazaki Kimbei

 

 

Japanese name: Chûsenko Teitokuson (中箭虎丁得孫)

Chinese name: Ding Desun (Arrow-shot Tiger Ding Desun)

Scene: The hero fighting off a giant poisonous snake

Robinson: S2a.2

Censors’ seal: Murata Sahei

Publisher’s seal: Unidentified

 

The border was cut off the illustrated print of another state of the above design, with uncolored cartouches.

 

Japanese name: Hakujisso Hakushô (白日鼠白勝)

Chinese name: Bai Sheng (Daylight Rat Bai Sheng)

Scene: Hakujisso Hakushô, half-naked, lifting a box of snakes above a foe with whom he is struggling.

Robinson: S2a.3

Censors’ seal: Murata Sahei

Publisher’s seal: None

 

Japanese name: Hyôshitô Rinchû (豹子頭林中)

Chinese name: Lin Chong

Scene: Hyôshitô Rinchû about to thrust his sword into a kneeling dark-skinned foe in the snow

Robinson: S2a.4

Censors’ seal:

Publisher’s seal:

 

The border was cut off the illustrated print.

 

Japanese names: Kokusempû Riki (黒旋風李逵), who is also known as Ritetsu Gyu ()

Chinese name: Li Kui

Scene: Kokusempû Riki by a waterfall with a sword in hand fighting three tigers

Robinson: S2a.5

Censors’ seal:

Publisher’s seal:

 

The border was cut off the illustrated print.

 

Japanese name: Kwaoshô Rochishin (花和尚魯智深魯達)

Chinese name: Lu Da or Lu Zhishen

SceneKaoshô Rochishin (formerly called “Rotatsu”) is a monk turned brigand.  He is smashing through a pine trunk with his great iron club to intimidate guards escorting Lin Chong into exile.

Robinson: S2a.6

Censors’ seal: Murata Sahei

Publisher’s seal: Unidentified

 

Japanese name: Kwatsuyenra Genshôshichi (活閽羅阮小七)

Chinese name: Ruan Xiaoqi (Living King Yama Ruan Xiaoqi)

Scene: The hero in a boat using a tiger skin as a shield against flying arrows

Robinson: S2a.7

Censors’ seal: Murata Sahei and kiwame

Publisher’s seal: None

 

Another state of the above design with an unidentified publisher’s seal, the seal of the censor Murata Sahei, and the kiwame seal

 

Japanese name: Ryôtôja Kaichin (両頭蛇解珍)

Chinese name: Xie Zhen (Double Headed Snake Xie Zhen)

Scene: The hero binding a fallen enemy general with a corded missile

Robinson: S2a.8

Censors’ seal: Murata Sahei

Publisher’s seal: Unidentified

 

Another state of the above design with a different border pattern, no publisher’s seal, and the censor’s seal in a different location

 

No image available

 

Japanese name: Ryûchitaisai Genshôji (立地太歲阮小二)

Chinese name: Ruan Xiao’er

Scene:

Robinson: S2a.9

Censors’ seal:

Publisher’s seal:

Japanese name: Sôshiko Raiô (挿翅虎雷横)

Chinese name: Lei Heng

Scene: Sôshiko Raiô standing by a river with rapids holding his sword in front of him with both hands

Robinson: S2a.11

Japanese name: Sekibakki Ryûtô (赤髪鬼劉唐)

Chinese name: Liu Tang

Scene: Sekibakki Ryûtô holding a sword in his right horizontally over his head

Robinson: S2a.10

In ukiyo-e, it is not unusual to encounter a series of single-sheet prints, only a few of which form larger compositions when joined.  If the prints are well designed, each panel is artistically pleasing in isolation.  The borders were cut off the illustrated prints.

 

Japanese name: Tammeijirô Genshôgo (短冥次郎阮小吾)

Chinese name: Ruan Xiaowu

SceneTammeijirô Genshôgo, bare-chested and tattooed, grappling with an armored foe under water

Robinson: S2a.12

Censors’ seal: Murata Sahei

Publisher’s seal: None

 

Japanese name: Rôrihakuchô Chôjun (浪裡白跳張順)

Chinese name: Zhang Shun (White Streak in the Waves Zhang Shun)

Scene: Rôrihakuchô Chôjun with a sword between his teeth wrenches apart the bars of a water gate

Robinson: Not listed

 

The border was cut off the illustrated print.

 

Japanese name: Tammeijirô Genshôgo (短命治郎阮小五)

Chinese name: Du Qian

Scene: Tammeijirô Genshôgo, bare-chested and tattooed, kneels on a fallen foe, a drawn sword in his hand

Robinson: Not listed

 

This print bears some similarities to the above series.

 

Publishers’ seals

Yamazaki Kinbei

Unidentified

Censors’ seals

Mera Ta’ichirô

c. 1830

Murata Sahei

c. 1842

Kiwame

1815-1842

 

 

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

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN PAGE