Sixteen Stories of Musashi-bô Benkei

(Jûroku Musashi-bô Benkei)

c. 1848-1850

 

Musashi-bô Benkei was a warrior-monk who served Yoshitsune.  Benkei 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.

 

Scene: Oniwaka beating two young monastery acolytes

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Robinson: S68.1

     

 

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

 

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

Publisher: Daikoku-ya Heikichi

Robinson: S68.4

 

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listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its unpublished supplement.

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