Musashibô Benkei sleept met een grote tempelklok
ca. 1810 - ca. 1820
Medium
nishikie, with metallic pigments and blindprinting
Dimensions
141; 192
About this artwork
collector's mark, verso, stamped
Art Historical Context
**Musashibô Benkeiags a Large Temple Bell by Totoya Hokkeica. 1810–1820) captures a legendary feat from Japanese folklore. Hokkei, a prominent ukiyo-e artist pupil of Katsushika Hokusai, depicts the mighty warrior monk Musashib Benkei—famed companion of the samurai Minamoto no Yoshits—hauling an enormous temple bell on his back. This dynamic scene draws from tales popularized in kabuki theater and epic narratives like *Heike Monogatari*, symbolizing Benkei's superhuman strength and loyalty during the turbulent Kamakura period. Printed as a *nishikie* (brocade picture) woodblock, this intimate...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...