Comic One Hundred Turns of the Rosary, 1864 - Fantastic Kyosai triptych featuring a comic scene of Shoki the Demon Queller and other figures surrounding an enormous octopus tending a pot on a roaring fire. These figures, which include horned demons, samurai, a nobleman on horseback, a beauty, and monks, grasp the beads of a large rosary encircling the creature. In this political satire, the ring of characters represents those opposed to the West, while the octopus symbolizes those in favor of the West. Only five tentacles can be seen, possibly to suggest the five nations that signed the Harris Treaty to trade with Japan a few years earlier. At bottom center, a monk is engulfed by flames from which arises a leering blue head, while at far upper right, a spider and various demons peer down at the group from the sky. A fascinating and creative image full of strange details, also in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Artist - Kyosai (1831 - 1889)

Image Size - 14 1/8" x 29 1/4"

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Three separate panels. Wormholes and small losses, repaired. Slight toning, creasing, and soiling. Please see photos for details.