Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, "Wandering Priest Sees Two Ghosts in Cottage"

A priest wanders one day into a cottage and sees two ghosts arguing over a concluding verse of a poem. He settles the dispute by finishing the poem and the ghosts leave. “Trapped in the frozen ice, it should have stayed, but the moon of night flies free." The moon gives this print a wonderfully moody atmosphere, while the red leaves of the maple adds a dose of vibrant color to the composition.

Series: New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts
Date 1892
Size: Oban
Publisher: Sasaki Toyokichi
Condition: Excellent color and condition (original album backing; light trimming)
Frame Shown: 16" x 24", Classic Wood, Clear Walnut

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's (1839-1892) Shinkei sanjurokkaissen (New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts) series of woodblock prints was the artist's last series of works completed between 1889 and 1892 before his death. The prints from this series are exemplary of Yoshitoshi's long interest on macabre and dark subjects, and is illustrative of his unique abilities to channel these subjects into beautifully captivating compositions. Tokaido Arts is pleased to offer a selection from one of Yoshitoshi's most famous series of woodblock prints.