二代歌川國貞　「八犬傳　尼　妙椿」浮世絵錦絵　江戸時代

Priestess Myōchin, known for her fur-like hair, is one of the legendary characters featured in the Hakkenden (Legend of the Eight Dog Warriors), an epic novel by Kyokutei Bakin (1767–1848). At the beginning of the story, this wicked spirit assumes the guise of an eight-hundred-year-old female tanuki (raccoon-dog) and nurses the dog belonging to the lord of the Satomi clan. The spirit then curses the clan and takes the form of a priestess with extraordinary powers seen in this print. Utagawa Kunisada II’s design was masterfully executed by a woodcarver, as evident in the minute strands of hair and the thin bamboo blinds, each line having been skillfully worked into a solid block of wood. Cherry blossom petals are scattered to enhance the commotion.