{"product_id":"yoshitoshi-tattoed-namakubi-rokuzo-and-the-flying-head-of-a-ghost","title":"Yoshitoshi: 芳年 Tattooed Namakubi Rokuzô and the Flying Head of a Ghost","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 芳年 \u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e(1839-1892)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Namakubi Rokuzô and the Flying Head of a Ghost\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeries:\u003c\/strong\u003e Biographies of Modern Men 近世侠義伝 (Kinsei kyôgiden), or Stories of Chivalry in Recent Times  \u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1866\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eNamakubi Rokuzô sits unperturbed as the severed head of a ghost flies above his head, its long hair floating along as it seems to address him. Rokuzo is tattooed and sits with a detached mien, cozily ensconced within a heavy quilt (yogi). He holds a tobacco pipe and has a brazier in his lap, and his arms are tucked inside the quilt. We see the hints of a full-body tattoo on the portions of him that are visible. In deciphering this rather enigmatic juxtaposition, the text does offer some clues, as is explained in the following paragraph.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eRokuzo was a follower of Tsuchiura Hiji, and was a man of extraordinary strength,\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eequivalent to that of ten men. [“Namakubi” means Severed Head, and this nickname is explained in the text.] Rokuzo was apparently fond of fishing, and every night he would go to the riverbank and lower his net to catch fish. One night, a severed head came flying towards Rokuzo, apparently three times, before laughing and then vanishing. [Then there is] an admonishment to resolve to give up fishing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWithin the Buddhist context, fishing is considered a negative activity as it involves the taking of life, (”sessho” 殺生), and is thought to bring negative consequences to the person fishing. The ghost actually seems to be addressing Rokuzo directly, so the scene may be illustrating the hero’s fearlessness in the face of a terrifying apparition, while also squeezing in a little bit of an ethics lesson. The text is written by Sanzan-tei Arindo, which may be the pen name of the father of Kaburagi Kiyokata, who was a writer of popular fiction. This series was one of Yoshitoshi’s earliest, and it profiles the exploits of men who existed on the margins of respectable society, but who lived by their own codes of honor and chivalry. This is perhaps its most interesting design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very good impression, color and condition. With some thinning and waviness to paper. \u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e ôban (35.6 x 24.1 cm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Iseki (Manyô-dô)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLiterature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Listed in “Beauty \u0026amp; Violence”, series 13. Keyes number 147.25. See LACMA collection from the Herbert R. Cole collection. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kiri \u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kaisai Yoshitoshi hitsu\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tsukioka Yoshitoshi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42902720184402,"sku":"YOT955","price":875.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0079\/3388\/6546\/files\/YOT955.jpg?v=1794721573","url":"https:\/\/egenolfgallery.com\/ja\/products\/yoshitoshi-tattoed-namakubi-rokuzo-and-the-flying-head-of-a-ghost","provider":"Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}