The Lonely House on the Adachi Fields in Mutsu Province

An untitled set of vertical diptychs by Yoshitoshi

Beschreibung

From a set of at least 15 historical subjects in the vertical diptych format. This format is sometimes referred to as kakemono-e (hanging scroll pictures), because of its elongated shape that is suitable for hanging scroll mountings.

There are several version of the story that was the basis for this gruesome print, of which the most well-known goes as follows. A wet nurse who cares for a young, sickly princess is order to search for a remedy for the young child, which requires the liver of a newborn baby. Abandoning her own daughter, she ventures out seeking a willing donor. After months of searching without success, the desperate wet nurse decides to lie in waiting in an old abandoned house on the Adachi Fields in Mutsu Province. It was common for pregnant women to return to their hometown for the birth of their child, and eventually she sees a very young pregnant woman traveling on the path near the house. The wet nurse ambushes her and kills her, only to realise it was her own daught. Her terrible deed drives her mad and she transforms into an onibaba (old demon woman) who, full of rage and sorrow, haunts the Adachi Fields, in search of new victims.