The Floating World

One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Suikoden (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)

Kokusenpū Riki

黒旋風李逵 · Kokusenpū Riki

Utagawa Kuniyoshi · c. 1827–30

What it is

Kokusenpū Riki — the “Black Whirlwind,” the novel’s berserker — storms into the fight with an axe in each fist.

Why it matters

Bakin’s translations had made the Water Margin Edo’s favorite novel, and readers loved its wildest hero best: loyal beyond reason, violent beyond restraint, and drawn by Kuniyoshi at maximum.

What to notice

The silhouette is built from the two axe-arcs — the figure carved as pure motion, nothing at rest anywhere on the sheet.

Loyalty, with an axe in each hand.

The record

Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1798–1861)
Series
One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Suikoden (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)
Date
c. 1827–30
Publisher
Kagaya Kichiemon
Medium
woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Source
The Art Institute of Chicago · 1975.485

Impression note. Early impressions of the series hold the dark flesh tone as its own even block of color against the keyblock line; later printings streak and lighten it, softening the figure’s force. Impression variance is real — printings differ in wiping and fading — and choosing the finest openly held impression is the curatorial act.

Public domain; faithfully reproduced.

Bring it home

Printed to order on EMA matte art paper, 200gsm.

From the same series

Rōshi Ensei — Utagawa KuniyoshiOne Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Suikoden (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)Rōshi EnseiUtagawa Kuniyoshi · c. 1827–30 · from $69.00Tanmeijirō Genshōgo — Utagawa KuniyoshiOne Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Suikoden (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)Tanmeijirō GenshōgoUtagawa Kuniyoshi · c. 1827–30Kaoshō Rochishin — Utagawa KuniyoshiOne Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Suikoden (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)Kaoshō RochishinUtagawa Kuniyoshi · c. 1827–30Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre — Utagawa KuniyoshiUtagawa KuniyoshiTakiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton SpectreUtagawa Kuniyoshi · c. 1844

The road at your moment — Painted Earth’s ukiyo-e style pack.