Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

1839-1892

New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts: Picture of Sadanobu Threatening a Demon in the Palace at Night
(Shingata sanjurokkaisen: Sadanobu-ko yoru kyuchu ni kai o osoreshimu no zu)

signed Yoshitoshi, with artist's seal Taiso, carved by Chokuzan, publisher's date and address seal Meiji nijuninen, shigatsu, juka; Sasaki Toyokichi, Tokyo, Kyobashi-ku, Owaricho 2-1 (Meiji 22 [1889], April 10) of Sasaki Toyokichi

oban tate-e 14 1/2 by 10 in., 36.8 by 25.3 cm

Fujiwara Tadahira (Fujiwara Sadanobu; 880-949) was a 10th-century minister who dutifully served both emperors Daigo (897-930) and Suzaku (ruled 930-946) from 914 until 941. In this episode, taken from the 1119 history The Great Mirror (Okagami), Tadahira is disrupted by a hairy demon on his way to an appointment at the court. Upon feeling the demon grab a hold of his arm, Tadahira shouted "who stops a man on his way to the council chamber with an Imperial decree? You will regret it if you don't let go." Intimidated by the forcefulness of the remonstration, the demon hurried into the night, and Tadahira continued on his way.

Published:
Highlights of Japanese Printmaking: Part Five - Yoshitoshi, Scholten Japanese Art, New York, 2017, cat. no. 102

References:
Helen Craig McCullough, trans., Okagami, 1980, p. 106
Roger Keyes, Courage and Silence, 1983, p. 488, no. 509.1
John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi's Thirty-Six Ghosts, 1983, p. 20, no. 1
Shinichi Segi, Yoshitoshi the Splendid Decadent, 1985, p. 76, no. 94.2
Eric van den Ing & Robert Schaap, Beauty and Violence, 1992, p. 141, no. 65.1
John Stevenson, Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales, 2005, p. 84, no. 1
Ota Memorial Museum of Art, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: 120th Memorial Retrospective, 2012, p. 147, no. 220

(inv. no. 10-3216)

price: Sold