Samanosuke Mitsutoshi with Fox Fires
1865
Legendary samurai Samanosuke Mitsutoshi wanders through a dark, moonlit field in this eerie 1865 woodblock print, mesmerized by a cluster of floating 'fox fires'—supernatural will-o'-the-wisps believed to be conjured by magical foxes. Part of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's famous series *One Hundred Stories of Japan and China*, the piece captures a moment of supernatural encounter, with the warrior cautiously probing the glowing lights with a branch of pampas grass. Yoshitoshi, often called the 'last great master' of ukiyo-e, was a master of the macabre and the mystical, and this print perfectly showcases his ability to blend historical folklore with striking, atmospheric composition.
- Technique
- Woodblock print
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