Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, "Priest Raigo Transformed Into a Rat"

The priest Raigo of Mii Temple from 11th century Japan is said to have prayed for a male heir to Emperor Shirakawa (1072-1086). When the Emperor's wishes were granted, he was overjoyed and offered Raigo any reward. Raigo requested a raised platform in his temple for prayers. The Emperor, seeing the platform as a symbol of previous insurgencies among warrior monks, declined his request. Angry and resentful, Raigo retreated to his temple and starved himself to death. His spirit was later said to have resurrected into rats, which destroyed the Emperor's books and scrolls as revenge. 

Series: New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts
Date 1889
Size: Oban
Publisher: Sasaki Toyokichi
Condition: Excellent color and condition (original album backing; light trimming)
Shown in Classic Wood, Walnut Frame

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.