Title: A Ghostly Yurei Standing Aside Reeds and Flame, Circa 1800-1850. A Yurei-zu Painting of an Undead Spirit with Blackened Teeth, Likely an Onryo
Condition: Very Good
A Late Edo Period, 19th century painting of a ghostly yurei, standing aside reeds and next to an open flame. The spirit is a tall, thin figure, with long unkempt hair, still in her burial kimono, and with ohaguro, also known as blackened teeth, something typically practiced by married women.
Given the menacing and wizened appearance of the yurei, she is likely an onryo, the spirit of a person who died with a grudge or hatred and was feared by people as bringing disaster through possession.
Yūrei-zu are a genre of Japanese art consisting of painted or woodblock print images of ghosts, demons and other supernatural beings. Paintings such as these reached their peak popularity by the mid to late 19th century.
The painting has been neatly mounted onto a brocade decorated kakejiku (hanging scroll), with jikusaki (one knob) made of wood.
One painting mounted on a kakejiku (hanging scroll), 183 x 48.5 cm full size, 115 x 35 cm main painting
This painting is in very good shape, with only minor wear to the background of the painting.