Comments - Incredible scene from the famous tale of the cat witch of Okabe. An old witch haunted the temple near Okabe, assuming the form of an enormous cat waiting to attack young women who came to visit the temple. Here, the ghost of the hideous crone emanates from a mist in the center, taking form beside the beauty Usugomo at right as an emaciated figure with scraggly dark hair and a skeletal chest. Usugomo stares over her shoulder with a dismayed expression as the samurai in the center, Inabanosuke, holds up a poem slip. At left, Shirasuka Juemon faces the giant cat monster peering through a tattered blind behind them, snarling and clawing in the gloom of the ruined temple. From left, the actors are Mimasu Gennosuke, Ichimura Uzaemon XII, and Onoe Kikugoro III as Usugomo, in a scene from the play "The Lifetime of Onoe Kikugoro III." A fantastic image from this legendary story, with the fearsome cat masterfully drawn. A terrific choice for a collector interested in Japanese ghost stories.

Artist - Kuniyoshi (1797 - 1861)

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

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Three separate panels, backed with paper. A few wormholes, repaired. Toning, soiling, slight rubbing and creasing, a few stains at edges. Please see photos for details. Good overall.