Otojiro: Humorous Shadow Pictures for Slide Shows with Ghosts (Sold)

“New Print of utsushi-e” (Shinban utsushi-e). A parade of 30 silhouettes (kage-e or utsushi-e)* of figures and animals depict the images used as kage-e or utsushi-e for slide shows similar to that of Magic Lanterns, which were a curiosity at that time. We see in the first row six dancing figures who display the Ótsue-bushi dance. The text mentions the names such as Taemon and Urashima Taró. The figures of the second to third rows are based on Ótsu-e, which were painted as talisman pictures against evil  and distributed by Mitsui-dera Temple in Ótsu, Province Ómi near the Biwa Lake. These were known as Ten Kinds of subjects in Ótsu-e (Ótsu-e jusshu), which were particularly popular figures and refer to the special effectiveness of the pictures. Seen in the second row: the first half-naked man who is trying to catch a large namazu eel into his hyótan gourd, referring to the famous Zen question and answer and symbolizes that everything develops smoothly and one can keep harmonious relationships; that like a fish in water. The falconer, o-wakashimo symbolizes to gain an advantage and to find even the things you have lost. The next two figures are from the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, “Daikoku” with the ladder chasing “Juró-jin“ with a tall head running away with Daikoku’s good luck mallet. Daikoku has to catch him, in order to step up the ladder so that he can reach the top of Juró-jin’s head to shave. These figures symbolizes a long life (Juró-jin) and all the cherished wishes come true by the mallet of luck (Daikoku-ten). The last dancing figure with a branch of wisteria, „Fujimusume“, symbolizes a  charming young lady, who will have a good marriage partner. In the third row: the first two figures, nyúdó a tonsured monster with a kiseru tobacco pipe refuses a cup of tea served by a woman, ”ocha dashi“. (The meaning of this pair not known.) The third figure, yarimochi “yakko“ carrying a spear symbolizes safety for a journey. The fourth figure shows “oni no nenbutsu“ meaning the oni devil in sacred robe with his attributes, which include an umbrella, a donation notebook and a hammer for hitting the bell. This devil can quiet a crying child at night and protect from other devils. The next, “zató“ , is a blind man with a long stick who fends off a dog which pulls his trailing clothes. His profession was musician or healing masseur. In the fourth row: the first figure seems to be a farmer with a hoe, “baka-tare“, a stupid person, the second  “teu-ren?”, the third a badger “tanuki”, the fourth “san-zu”, the fifth “ippon-ashi” a one-legged ghost, the last, “chóchin obake”, a lantern ghost. Describing the fifth row: the first “okagura”, a sacred music performer (a street musician) and a dancer with a large mask of oni devil over the shoulder, the third “Daruma-no-nuke ashi” Daruma with his legs sticking out. The Daruma fugure normally shows no legs. The last pair, a lady on a rikishó and a rikishó carrier.  The artist Otojiro was a student of Toyohara Kunichika.

 * The background of Nishiki kage-e: By the end of the Edo Period, imported articles from Holland were adopted into Japanese way such as “Magic Lantern”, an apparatus for slides show with moving figures. Around 1803 when a Magic Lantern was imported it was not possible to gain neither a flat metal nor glass in Japan, therefore,  the apparatus out of metal was reconstructed by Japanese into a wooden case, called “furo”, and glass slides into paper with painted figures and settings. This is the beginning of the slide show of story telling and a drama in Edo. This slide show was called Utsushi-e in Edo and Nishiki kage-e in Kansai Area, where Ómi Province situated. Among Ukiyo-e these kind of pictures were widely spread as a category of asobi-e (pictures of playing).