Yoshitoshi: Ghost of Sogoro and Scene of Shuten-doji (Sold)

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Title: The Ghost of Sogoro and Scene of Shuten-doji with Severed Heads
Series: A Comparison of Strange Stories from Japan and China (Wakan kidan kagami)
Date: 1880

Uncut sheet of two chuban designs. Top is the ghost of Sakura Sogoro. also known as Kozakura Togo, who was killed for pleading with the shogun to reduce taxes on his fellow starving farmers. In the kabuki play, Sogoro haunted the castle of his killer, Kozuke,  to the point where the killer’s wife and son died from fright. Here we see the ghost of Sogoro emerging from a screen, with a woman hiding her face and cowering on the ground in terror. The ghost in this example is printed in soft, shadowy colors. He is covered in blood and has three snakes slithering from his arms. At the bottom we see the Shuten-doji monster, who is studying the bloody severed heads of two men that have been set before him. We see the oversized sake kettle and sake cup of this famously imbibing giant, at right. The hero Raiko finally put an end to the menace of the Shuten-doji. Kuniyoshi and his students often illustrated chapters from both of these tales.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: ôban 36.5 x 23.8 cm
Publisher: Kodama Matichi
Literature: Keyes series 203 and 435; this design is unlisted.
Signature: Kaisai Yoshitoshi ga

SKU: YOT763