Samoerai Aoyama En Het Spook Okiku
Technique: Giclée quality print
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More about this artwork
The painting "Samoerai Aoyama En Het Spook Okiku" by Toyohara Kunichika is a striking piece of Japanese ukiyo-e art that illustrates a dramatic and ghostly scene. At the heart of this artwork is the depiction of Okiku, a famous spirit from Japanese folklore, known from the tragic story of "Banchō Sarayashiki."In the image, Okiku appears with an intense and haunting expression, her face pale and her eyes wide and staring. Her long, flowing hair, a common motif in depictions of Japanese ghosts (yūrei), cascades dramatically around her. Her body is shown with a sort of ethereal, translucent quality, emphasizing her ghostly nature. Okiku is reaching out desperately with one hand, while her other hand seems to clutch or emerge from a large, partially visible fan, which is a significant element as it adds a dynamic flair to the composition.The overall atmosphere of the artwork is eerie and unsettling, enhanced by the use of muted colors and the stark contrast provided by the dark background. This visual storytelling encapsulates the pain and haunting endurance of Okiku's spirit, a theme widely explored in Japanese arts and literature. The representation captures her eternal unrest and sorrow, tied forever to the mishap of breaking a precious plate, as per the legend.