Believe It Kuniyoshi: Shuten-doji Banquet At Mt Oe With Tracking [ioDVR5sO]

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Title:  Shuten-doji Banquet at Mt Oe
Date: c. 1853

Ôeyama fukuju shusei. Raiko and his men entertain the Shuten-doji and his demons with sake and dancing. The Shuten-doji is the large-red-faced ogre who is feeling the effects of the large quantity of sake he has been imbibing, as shown by the enormous sake cup that he is holding. The setting is the Shuten-doji’s lair, and we see the edges of the cave above and the exotic flowers growing at left. Beyond the cave we see barren-looking mountain crags. The retinue of oni (demons) are given more individuality than Raiko’s men, with differences in skin color, horn length and number as well as attire. Raiko’s men look stern and focused, as they must be, as their job is to later dispatch the Shuten-doji. Two of them decant sake from a portable bamboo container; more can be seen next to them, attached to their backpacks. They succeed in their quest, and later in the story the Shuten-doji is vanquished, never to cause terror again.

Condition:  Very good impression, color and condition.  Some rubbing at bottom, minor repaired wormage.  Unbacked and untrimmed.
Publisher:  Ki-ya Sôjirô

Literature: Robinson T305

Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga