Kuniyoshi 国芳: The Old Woman of the Lonely House; Station Okute 大久手

 Unbacked and completely untrimmed.Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)
Title: The Old Woman of the Lonely House; Station Okute  大久手

Series: Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidô Road  木曾街道六十九次之内
Date: 7/1852

Dramatic version  of the Adachigahara story, here taking place at Asajigahara near Asakusa. We see the climax of the story, where the young daughter of the evil old hag is attempting to stop her mother from cutting the rope that we see strung overhead. Unseen except for a garment, below, is the handsome young man who is in reality an emanation of the bodhisattva Kannon. The rope attaches to an unseen large rock, which the old woman uses to kill visitors to her home in order to rob them. In the background we see the true form of the sleeping visitor, the many-armed Kannon, floating ethereally in the background to save the day.

Condition: Excellent impression and condition; very good color. Unbacked and completely untrimmed.

Dimensions: ôban (37.4 x 25.4 cm)
Publisher: Yawataya Sakujirô
Literature: See Sarah Thompson’s “The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidô”, number 48, page 112. See Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, British Museum, Walters Art Museum.  Robinson S74 Seal: kiri Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga

SKU: KUY621