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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThe woodblock print depicts a large, clawed hand of an oni reaching down toward a refined woman wearing layered traditional court robes. The oni's hand is textured with fine lines suggesting hair, while its sharp, hooked talons are poised aggressively. Below, a partially open folding fan lies on the ground near grass or bamboo shoots, suggesting a sudden interruption of a romantic or courtly encounter. The composition focuses on the contrast between the grotesque, supernatural hand and the delicate, patterned textiles of the woman’s garments.
This image illustrates the 'Oni-hito-kuchi' (Demon-One-Bite) legend, which originates from the 'Ise Monogatari' (Tales of Ise), where a demon abducts a woman by swallowing her whole. It is a canonical example of Japanese folklore concerning the intersection of romantic pursuit and supernatural danger.
鬼一口 在原業平 二条の后とぬすんであらは…… ……鬼一口よ ……人のとひ……
Translation
Demon-One-Bite. Ariwara no Narihira, having stolen away with the Empress of Nijo, [an oni appears]... a demon-one-bite [abduction] occurs...
Ise Monogatari
The print visually adapts the legendary incident described in the sixth section of the 'Tales of Ise'.
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 21, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.