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Details
- Place where the work was made
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Japan
- Period
- Ansei era 1854 - 1860 → Edo (Tokugawa) period 1615 - 1868 → Japan
- Date
- 1858
- Media category
- Materials used
- woodblock print; ink and colour on paper, triptych
- Dimensions
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a - right sheet, 35.8 x 25.5 cm
b - centre sheet, 35.8 x 25.5 cm
c - left sheet, 35.8 x 25.5 cm
- Credit
- Yasuko Myer Bequest Fund 2018
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 286.2018.a-c
- Copyright
- Artist information
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Utagawa Yoshitsuya
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
The famous story of Shuten-dōji (drunken demon) is one of Japan’s most gruesome legends. It deals with tales of good and evil and the actions of the heroic character Minamoto no Yorimitsu (Raikō). Originating in the Heian period (794–1185), the story describes a demon who kidnaps and cannibalises young maidens in Kyoto with the help of his oni assistants. Impersonating Buddhist monks, Raikō and his four loyal attendants enter Shuten-dōji’s lair by enticing the demons with rice wine. This image shows Shuten-dōji’s fuming decapitated head in battle, as the rest of the demons try to escape the conflict.
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Places
Where the work was made
Japan
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Exhibition history
Shown in 2 exhibitions
Japan Supernatural, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 02 Nov 2019–08 Mar 2020
Outlaw, Art Gallery of New South Wales, North Building, Sydney, 03 Dec 2022–06 Jun 2023
