Nuribotoke (Lacquered Buddha)

The Nuribotoke is depicted as a heavy-set, silhouette-like figure with smooth, dark skin and a distended belly, reminiscent of a distorted Buddhist monk. Its eyes are wide and blood-red, with a matching red mouth suggesting an expression of shock or malice. The figure is shown from the waist up, appearing to emerge from a dark, hazy void at the bottom of the scroll, with its arms raised in a gesture of surprise or movement.

The Nuribotoke is a yōkai from Japanese folklore, traditionally said to be a possessed Buddhist altar (butsudan) that comes to life at night. This image belongs to the *Bakemono no e* (picture scrolls of monsters) genre, which flourished during the Edo period as a way to categorize and visualize the supernatural.