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「東海道名所つゝき」「羅生門之古図」「春雨ノ社」「金札石刀石トモ云」「鬼カミノハシラ」 by Kawanabe Kyosai — Japanese Woodblock print

「東海道名所つゝき」「羅生門之古図」「春雨ノ社」「金札石刀石トモ云」「鬼カミノハシラ」

by Kawanabe Kyosai

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Ritsumeikan University

Description

From the 'Tōkaidō Meishō Tsuzuki' (Tōkaidō Famous Places Continued) series, this print assembles four vignettes drawn from legendary and sacred sites along the Tokaido road corridor. The Rashomon ancient illustration (羅生門之古図) depicts Kyoto's notorious south gate, setting of classical tales and Noh drama and associated with the swordsman Watanabe no Tsuna's severing of a demon's arm — a subject directly within Kyosai's repertoire of oni imagery. The Spring Rain Shrine (春雨ノ社) represents a roadside sanctuary. The Kinsatsu stone — also called sword stone (金札石刀石トモ云) — denotes a geological or cultic marker along the route. The Demon God's Pillar (鬼カミノハシラ) adds further supernatural topography. Unlike conventional meishō-e that foreground scenic beauty, this print tilts decisively toward the legendary and uncanny, reflecting Kyosai's particular temperament and his ability to invest topographic series with the demonic energy running throughout his broader body of work.

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「東海道名所つゝき」「羅生門之古図」「春雨ノ社」「金札石刀石トモ云」「鬼カミノハシラ」 was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).