art print : hashi benkei

An exquisite example of the drama created with a restricted colour palette, this image (artist unknown) is drawn from the legend of boy wizard Ushiwaka. In this scene Ushiwaka battles a giant swordsman called Benkei. No match for his strength, Ushiwaka defeats Benkei by exhausting him. 

This print is part of a collection celebrating some of the most significant works in ukiyo-e (wood block prints and paintings of the 'floating world') history. To bring these masterpieces within reach, publisher Shueisha meticulously reproduced these rare works from original first impressions held in prestigious collections worldwide.

Supervised by a team of art historians, each piece is printed on authentic ukiyo-e washi paper using a polychrome offset lithographic process.