THE SERIES COLLECTION · KEYES 220
Strong Heroes of the Water Margin
豪傑水滸伝
Gōketsu suikoden
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi · 1868
THE SERIES COLLECTION
STRONG HEROES OF THE WATER MARGIN豪傑水滸伝
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Hyoshito Rinchu (Lin Chung) seated by a rockVIEW PRINT ↗#1Hyoshito Rinchu (Lin Chung) seated by a rock6/1868
Bodaichu Kodaiso (Goodwife Ku) holding a knifeVIEW PRINT ↗#2Bodaichu Kodaiso (Goodwife Ku) holding a knife6/1868
Rorihakucho Chojun (Chang Shun) standing in waterVIEW PRINT ↗#3Rorihakucho Chojun (Chang Shun) standing in water6/1868
病関索 楊雄Byokansaku Yōyu (Yang Hsiung) stabbing a pregnant womanVIEW PRINT ↗#4Byokansaku Yōyu6/1868
Tattooing of Kumonryii Shishin (Shih Chin)VIEW PRINT ↗#5Tattooing of Kumonryii Shishin (Shih Chin)7/1868
入雲龍公孫勝Juunryu Kosonsho (Kun-sun Sheng).VIEW PRINT ↗#6Nyūunryū Kōsonshō (Gongsun Sheng) amid Lightning7/1868
没面目焦挺Botsumenmoku Shotei (Chiao Ting).VIEW PRINT ↗#7Botsumenmoku Shōtei (Jiao Ting) under a Shower of Arrows8/1868
大刀関勝Guan Sheng, known as the Great Blade, seated in an ornate robe. Listed in the Sakai working catalogue, citing Iwakiri’s 2014 catalogue, C1868-02-09.VIEW PRINT ↗#8Daitō Kanshō (Guan Sheng), the Great Blade
八臂那吒項充Xiang Chong rides into battle on horseback. A finished color impression and a surviving key-block proof are shown together for comparison. Sakai lists the subject as 八臂那咤項充, citing Iwakiri 2014, C1868-02-04.VIEW PRINT ↗#9Happinata Kōjū (Xiang Chong) Riding into Battle07/1868
九尾亀陶宋旺Tao Zongwang brandishes a sword. This hand-colored preparatory drawing, dated the seventh lunar month of 1868, is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art (2017.106.92). The museum describes the design as outside the nine published prints. A matching key-block proof is shown alongside it; a finished color edition remains unverified.VIEW PRINT ↗#10Kyūbiki Tōsōō (Tao Zongwang) Brandishing a Sword — Preparatory Drawing07/1868
舩火兒張横Zhang Heng overpowers another warrior. This hand-colored preparatory drawing, dated the eighth lunar month of 1868, is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art (2017.106.93). The museum associates it with this series and describes it as outside the nine published prints. The design is unlisted in Keyes and Iwakiri’s individual print catalogues, according to the museum’s concordance.VIEW PRINT ↗#11Senkaji Chō Ō (Zhang Heng), the Boatman — Preparatory Drawing08/1868The original seven entries retain their Keyes-based order. Entries #8–#11 are additions to this website. Select #9 or #10 to compare the main image with its matching key-block proof. Entries #10 and #11 include hand-colored preparatory drawings.
About the Series
This page catalogs all known prints in
Yoshitoshi's series 'Gōketsu suikoden (豪傑 水滸傳 - Strong Heroes of the Water Margin)'.The story of the 108 Heroes of the Suikoden (Shuihu Zhuan) was Chinese in origin, written in the 14th century. The novel became extremely popular in Japan in the early 19th century. The stories relate the exploits of a group of outlaws, who lived on the fringe of society, and fought in the name of justice.
Hokusai illustrated the original Japanese translation of the series, and Kuniyoshi published a famous Suikoden print series, which was his first commercial success. Yoshitoshi published his first Suikoden series, consisting of 50 chūban prints, in 1866. This is his second Suikoden series, published in 1868.
Publication details
- Dates: 1868 (6) - 1868 (8)
- Size: Ōban
- Signed: Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi ga
- Publishers: Ohashi
- Engraver: Hori Wakasa
Catalogue references and numbering
The original seven entries retain their Keyes-based order. Entries #8–#11 are additions to this website. Select #9 or #10 to compare the main image with its matching key-block proof. Entries #10 and #11 include hand-colored preparatory drawings.
Listed in Keyes' thesis:
Roger S. Keyes, "Courage and Silence: A Study of the Life and Color Woodblock Prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1839-1892", Cinncinnati, 1982where it appears as series #220.
The original seven entries retain their existing Keyes-based order. Entries #8–#11 are additions to this website and are not claimed as Keyes print numbers.
These prints are rarely seen, and we would appreciate your help in obtaining images for the ones we are missing.
The Sakai working catalogue labels this series 全10 (ten in total), but its individual records name nine distinct subjects. Its series summary records nine confirmed sheets and an earlier count of seven. All nine named subjects are included here. Minneapolis Institute of Art holds two further hand-colored preparatory designs, Tao Zongwang and Zhang Heng, which its exhibition notes describe as outside the nine published prints. This catalogue therefore includes eleven designs: nine published subjects and two associated preparatory designs. Eleven entries do not establish eleven published color prints.