Description
Compelling polychrome woodblock print depicting in the lower part the samurai Sakata Kintoki (坂田金時), one of the “four heavenly kings” Shitenno (四天王) in the service of Minamoto no Raiko (源らいこう), who in his sleep is surrounded by the demons conjured up by a giant tsuchigumo (土蜘蛛) “earth spider”.
The work, entitled “Sakata Kintoki’s Dream” (坂公のゆめ), is taken from the “One Hundred Pictures by Kyosai” (狂斎百図), a series that was first published between 1863 and 1866 by Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市 ), owner of Jakurindo (若林堂). The woodcut is presented here in an edition produced between 1881 and 1886 by the publisher Okura Magobei (大倉孫兵衛) and, in the upper left, we read “Oju Seisei Kyosai” (応需惺々狂斎), that is the signature of Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎), the famous caricaturist nicknamed “The Painting Demon”.
The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the right signs of aging including two small wormholes in the upper part, is in good general condition.
