Japanese Print "Ōmori Kikoshichi Sees a Demon" by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Artist:Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Title:Ōmori Kikoshichi Sees a Demon
Date:1889
Details:More information...
Source:Worcester Art Museum
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Description:
A retainer of the shogun Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), Ōmori Kikoshichi met a beautiful, richly attired woman who begged him to carry her across a river so that she would not ruin her fine clothes. In Japanese folklore, reflections expose the true form of supernatural creatures, and as the bright moon illuminates the water, her horns are revealed in her silhouette. Yoshitoshi captures the moment when Kikoshichi realizes the nature of his charge. The woman seems to sense the change in his body and knows that he is about to strike. Ōmori has not yet drawn his sword, and dramatic tension suffuses the deceptively still figures.
