Depicting the historic Benkei Bridge in Tokyo, this Watanabe-published print showcases Kasamatsu's ability to render urban landmarks with atmospheric subtlety. Lifetime editions sell for $800-$2,500, with pre-earthquake impressions commanding $3,000-$6,000 when they surface. Look for the small 6mm circular seal that identifies the earliest printings.
Benkei Bridge in Tokyo — named for the legendary warrior monk Musashibou Benkei who serves as Japan's archetype of fierce loyalty — appears across the water, its stone arches reflected in the moat or river below. The bridge's naming connects an ordinary piece of urban infrastructure to the epic narrative of the Genpei War, where Benkei died standing guard over his master Yoshitsune. Kasamatsu's depiction likely shows the bridge in a particular atmospheric condition — mist, rain, or dusk — that transforms the architectural subject into something more suggestive.
$152
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Benkei Bridge was created by Shiro Kasamatsu (笠松紫浪).
Benkei Bridge uses Bokashi, Nishiki-e, and Moku-hanga, on woodblock print.
Benkei Bridge was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Benkei Bridge depicts landscapes, bridges, and warriors.
