Ushiwakamaru (Minamoto no Yoshitsune) defeats Benkei in a game of sugoroku
c. 1825
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
21.8 × 19.1 cm (8 5/8 × 7 9/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81008
Art Historical Context
In this vibrant color woodblock print from around 1825, Totoya Hokkei captures a legendary moment from Japanese folklore: the young warrior Ushiwakamaru—later known as Minamoto no Yoshitsune—triumphantly defeats the mighty monk Benkei in a game of *sugoroku*, a traditional backgammon-like board game. Hokkei, a prominent ukiyo-e artist and pupil of the famed Katsushika Hokusai, renders the scene with playful energy on a compact *shikishiban* format (21.8 × 19.1 cm), typical of luxurious *surimono* prints commissioned for private occasions like New Year's greetings. The depicted duel draws from...
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...