The Earth Spider conjures up demons at the mansion of Minamoto Yorimitsu
1843
The print’s story comes from the Noh drama Tsuchigumo (Earth Spider). Minamoto Yorimitsu, a warrior known for his valiant fight against demons, falls ill. While Yorimitsu is resting and his bodyguards are playing the game go, Earth Spider summons demons to attack Yorimitsu. The print captures a moment that is full of tension, right before the fighting starts.
Contemporaneous viewers read this image as a “riddle picture” and widely interpreted it as a satire of the Tenpo reform banning public displays of luxury. The ailing Yorimitsu in the picture was considered the ineffectual shogun, and the demons represented people suppressed by the reform. The publisher was frightened by the print’s immediate acclaim as social satire and recalled the first-edition prints. Later, pirated editions were made. This is a rare first-edition impression.
Color woodblock print; ōban tate-e triptych
Each sheet: 14 3/4 x 10 1/4 in. (37.5 x 26 cm)
Purchased with funds from the Asian Art Council
2014.19.3
Provenance: [Christie’s, New York, Japanese & Korean Art Including Arts of the Meiji Period, Sept. 15, 2010, sale no. 2338, lot 656; purchased at auction by [Sebastian Izzard, New York], 2010-14; sold to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2014
Image supplied by gallery
