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The Earth Spider conjures up demons at the mansion of Minamoto Yorimitsu

Date1843

Maker Utagawa Kuniyoshi Japanese, 1797-1861

Label TextThe 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.

Object number2014.19.3

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

Photo CreditImage supplied by gallery

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Gentleman Warrior: Art of the Samurai, Mar. 16 - Dec. 1, 2019. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Deities and Demons: Supernatural in Japanese Art, Oct. 20, 2022 - ongoing [on view beginning Apr. 12, 2023].

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Asian Art Council

DimensionsEach sheet: 14 3/4 x 10 1/4 in. (37.5 x 26 cm)

MediumColor woodblock print; ōban tate-e triptych