The Warrior Miura-no-suke Confronting the Court Lady Tamamo-no-mae as She Turns into an Evil Fox with Nine Tails - Yashima Gakutei

A dramatic woodblock print by Yashima Gakutei depicting the legendary confrontation between the warrior Miura-no-suke and the fox-spirit Tamamo-no-mae.

This woodblock print by Yashima Gakutei depicts a dramatic scene from Japanese folklore. The warrior Miura-no-suke confronts the court lady Tamamo-no-mae, who reveals her true form as a malevolent nine-tailed fox. Gakutei, a pupil of Hokusai, was known for his mastery of surimono, which were privately commissioned prints often featuring poetry and high-quality printing techniques.

The composition captures the tension of the encounter. Miura-no-suke is shown in a defensive posture, clutching his bow, while the figure of Tamamo-no-mae looms behind him. Her transformation is suggested by the spectral, multi-tailed silhouette emerging from her robes. The dark background, punctuated by a full moon, creates a sense of nocturnal mystery. The artist employs a refined colour palette, balancing the muted tones of the warrior's armour with the deeper, more ominous shades surrounding the fox-spirit.

Surimono prints were intended for a sophisticated audience, often members of poetry clubs. This work reflects the technical precision associated with the genre, including the use of metallic pigments and blind embossing, which add texture to the paper surface. The inclusion of calligraphic text within the image integrates the literary and visual arts, a common feature in Gakutei's output. The print serves as a visual narrative of the legend of the Sessho-seki, or Killing Stone, where the spirit of the fox was eventually trapped. Through his careful arrangement of figures and use of negative space, Gakutei conveys the supernatural nature of the subject without relying on excessive ornamentation. The work remains a fine example of the narrative capacity of the woodblock medium during the Edo period.