Byōbu-nozoki

Overview

Byōbu-nozoki appears as a human-like figure leaning across the upper edge of a folding screen. Its long hair hangs beside the face, while loose sleeves drape across the frame. Below the torso, the body narrows into a pale tapering form that descends along the screen’s patterned panels. Small household objects lie on the floor beside the furnishing.

The title 屏風覗 directly identifies the peering figure. The screen is both its support and the architectural boundary around which it appears, distinguishing the image from an ordinary full-length portrait. The visible torso, sleeves and attenuated lower form establish this particular apparition. They do not identify a former owner or a witnessed bedroom encounter; those narrative details require evidence beyond the inspected illustration.

Origins & earliest records

Toriyama Sekien, Konjaku Hyakki Shūi (1781), volume 3; selected named plate directly inspected in the institutional digitization. This is not a claim that an oral tradition began in that year.

Records & interpretation

Printed label 屏風覗, image composition and exact manifest URL directly checked. Explanatory cursive text is not completely transcribed; unverified narrative powers are omitted.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Konjaku Hyakki Shūi

   Toriyama Sekien · 1781

   Volume 3; IIIF canvas index 7 (zero-based); HyakkishuYiV3Tori_0008.jp2. Individually enlarged and inspected.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Institutional primary-book recordKonjaku Hyakki Shūi — institutional volume 3Research access: 2026-10-05
2. Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationByōbu-nozoki (屏風覗) — inspected primary plateResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Byōbu-nozoki, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed label 屏風覗 directly inspected in the enlarged image. Byōbu-nozoki leans over the top of a folding screen, with a long trailing body extending down its surface. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.