Miyamoto Musashi was born in the country of Harima (Hyogo Prefecture) in the 12th year of Tensho (1584).  He won his first duel at the age of 13 over a master swordsman of the Shinto Style, Arima Kihei. In the sixty-odd sword fights that he since fought until he was 28 or 29, he had never lost a single fight. He further continued to pursue the spirit of swordsmanship an the secrets of the art of war, until at last he founded the style of Niten Ichi Ryu.

He goes to Kumamoto about the 17th year of Kanei, when he was 57 years old. The Lord, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, weas very happy to welcome him as a guest of honor, took him into his service, giving him a yearly stipend of 300 koku of rice and a house at the corner of the Chiba Castle.

Musashi stayed in Kumamoto for five years until he died in early summer in the second year of Shouho (1645). During his stay in Kumamoto, he wrote ''Thirty-five Articles of the Art of War'', ''Gorin no Sho'' an other books, spending most of his time in the study of tea ceremony, Zen and calligraphy.

He was also a great painter. His works wich radiate the power of his spirit in vivacious brush strokes, stand unique in the history of the japanese drawings.

This lithograph features his most famous brush-painted masterpiece, KOBOKU MEIGEKIZU, a shrike on a dead tree. It is said that the shrike represents Musashi himself aiming at the game and the long wood branch reminds a sword. Own this lighographed hanging scroll and display it in your living room now.

A wooden storage box included.

Scroll Size: 185 x 60 cm