ukiyoetop

Forget running for the hills, we’re running to buy one of these amazing prints!

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Iron Maiden is, without question, one of the greatest metal bands in history. Their influence is nearly impossible to calculate at this point, but their signature sound has been getting crowds moving for four decades. Aside from their wide-ranging lyrics, galloping riffs, and Bruce Dickinson’s vocals, one of the most memorable aspects of the legendary band is their creepy-yet-delightful mascot Eddie.

▼ Eddie on the tailfin of Iron Maiden’s touring plane Ed Force One

The_tail_of_the_new_Ed_Force_OneWikipedia/CloudSurferUK

The zombie-like character appears on pretty much every album cover and piece of Iron Maiden merchandise you’ll find. And, you have to admit, he’s a perfect stand in for a six-piece band — he never ages, he’s instantly recognizable, and he never has to worry about make up for photo shoots!

But this has to be the most unique piece of Iron Maiden merchandise we’ve ever seen Eddie appear on: A limited-edition ukiyoe print! The print, pictured below, is titled “Jigoku Tayu Jitsu ha Edei” (which could be translated as “The Hell Courtesan Is Actually Eddie”)

▼ We love Eddie, but a beautiful courtesan he is not…

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Only 300 prints will be produced — each one hand-made by a team of Japanese artisans, including paper by living national treasure Iwano Ichibei, meaning every print will be unique. They’ll also feature one of our favorite details in an ukiyoe print ever, the iron maiden pictured below with the text “穢行銘傳之内”, which can be read “aian meiden no uchi.” The reading itself means “inside the iron maiden,” but if you take the kanji at face value, “aian meiden” means something like “the legend chronicling the impure act.” So, it works on several, gruesome levels!

▼ Who doesn’t love a good play on words, right?

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As with previous prints from the Ukiyoe Project, you won’t be able to purchase one for cheap — the price listed on their webstore is 108,000 yen (about US$966). The production is set to start soon, but finished prints aren’t expected to ship until the beginning of September, meaning these prints will be better as presents for the winter holidays than for Mother’s Day. They don’t seem to have overseas shipping available yet, but if past projects are any indication, they’ll eventually have something set up for anyone living outside Japan. Otherwise, you’ll have to look into a reshipping service.

It also looks like there’s another Iron Maiden ukiyoe print being developed as well. We don’t have any details yet, but you can believe we’ll share them with you when we do!

Sources: Ukiyoe Project, Kai-You, amass
Images: Ukiyoe Project