Ōmori Kikoshichi Sees a Demon
Artist
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡 芳年
(Japanese, 1839–1892)
Date1889
Mediumwoodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions36.7 x 24.9 cm (oban)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineAlexander H. Bullock Fund
Object number1995.35
DescriptionA retainer of the shogun Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), Ōmori Kikoshichi met a beautiful, richly attired woman who begged him to carry her across a river so that she would not ruin her fine clothes. In Japanese folklore, reflections expose the true form of supernatural creatures, and as the bright moon illuminates the water, her horns are revealed in her silhouette. Yoshitoshi captures the moment when Kikoshichi realizes the nature of his charge. The woman seems to sense the change in his body and knows that he is about to strike. Ōmori has not yet drawn his sword, and dramatic tension suffuses the deceptively still figures.Label TextA retainer of the shogun Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), Ōmori Kikoshichi met a beautiful, richly attired woman who begged him to carry her across a river so that she would not ruin her fine clothes. In Japanese folklore, reflections expose the true form of supernatural creatures, and as the bright moon illuminates the water, her horns are revealed in her silhouette. Yoshitoshi captures the moment when Kikoshichi realizes the nature of his charge. The woman seems to sense the change in his body and knows that he is about to strike. Ōmori has not yet drawn his sword, and dramatic tension suffuses the deceptively still figures.ProvenanceHuys Den Esch, The Netherlands
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