Hideo Takeda – Genpei Trilogy: Complete Three-Print Collection

The Collection

Three silkscreen prints, each signed by the artist and numbered from an edition of 185
Matching wooden frames with acrylic glazing, unified for display

• Burning of the Great Buddha Hall — edition 84/185 | Frame: 73 × 59 cm | Image: 52.5 × 39.5 cm
• The Fan Target — edition 52/185 | Frame: 59 × 73 cm | Image: 39.5 × 52.5 cm
• Drowning of Emperor Antoku — edition 81/185 | Frame: 59 × 73 cm | Image: 39.5 × 52.5 cm

The Genpei War ended a dynasty and remade Japan. Hideo Takeda chose three moments from its telling — a temple in flames, an arrow finding its mark, a child emperor carried into the sea — and rendered them with the unflinching clarity and quiet wit that define his work. Seen together, the prints trace an arc: from destruction, through spectacle, to silence.

They were made to hang side by side. This is how Takeda intended them to be seen.

Condition & Presentation

All three prints are housed in matching wooden frames with acrylic glazing, giving the set a unified presence ready for display. The frames show signs of age — scratches and wear consistent with vintage framed works — which complement the historical atmosphere of the prints. The prints themselves are in excellent condition with no damage.

Created 1985–1999. Provenance documentation available on request.

About Hideo Takeda

Born in Osaka in 1948, Hideo Takeda studied sculpture at Tama Art University (M.A., 1973) before establishing himself as one of Japan's most distinctive satirical artists. In 1976, he received the Bungeishunju Cartoonist Prize. His work spans printmaking, illustration, and publishing — with over 150 solo exhibitions and 18 books to his name.

In 1993, Takeda held a solo exhibition at the Japanese Gallery of the British Museum in London, accompanied by the publication Takeda Hideo and The Japanese Cartoon Tradition at The British Museum. In 2006, he exhibited alongside the celebrated French illustrator Tomi Ungerer.

The Genpei series, published as a book by Kyuryudo in 1985, represents one of his most sustained engagements with Japanese historical narrative — reimagined through an eye that is at once irreverent, precise, and deeply felt.