“Warrior Monk Benkei”

Who made this? Suzuki Masayoshi (signed “Made by Suzuki Masayoshi of the Great Japan”)

Where is it from? Japan

When was this made? 19th Century

What is this made of? Bronze

This statue is also from Japan. I am sure you are familiar with the names of a lot of superheroes, but have you ever heard of the Warrior Monk Benkei? He was a man of great strength and loyalty. Legend has it that Benkei fought other warriors as they crossed Gojo Bridge in Kyoto at night. He beat each one and kept their swords as trophies. He had collected 999 swords when he was defeated by Minamoto Yoshitsune, and was so impressed someone beat him, he became his follower.

Look at how the sculptor managed to depict motion in a still object: Benkei’s clothes look like they are filled with air and like he is about to draw his sword. The decoration on the clothing is quite detailed; you can see flying fish and dragons. Please remember not to touch.

Fun Facts: Japanese mythology believed that the dragon originated in Japan with only three toes, or claws, and as it migrated far North to China it gained another two toes. So a Japanese dragon has three toes, a common Asian dragon has four toes and a Chinese dragon has five toes.