Jakotsubaba

Overview

Jakotsubaba stands with two long snakes looping around the upper body. One snake’s head projects beside her shoulder and another extends outward to the right with its tongue exposed. Long hair streams around the figure’s sharply drawn face. The sleeves and hem are ragged, and the bare feet rest on lightly indicated ground. Small branches and a low bank provide a sparse outdoor setting.

The title 蛇骨婆 identifies the serpent-associated elderly woman. The illustration gives the snakes distinct heads and continuous scaled bodies, showing how they surround the human figure. It does not show a separate victim or an attack in progress. The current profile records this visible relationship between woman and serpents. Any claim about the snakes’ colours, names or protective duties requires a checked reading of the accompanying prose.

Origins & earliest records

Named illustration in Toriyama Sekien’s Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, first published in 1781. The historical Smithsonian Libraries copy is the inspected witness; book publication is not a claim about the earliest oral tradition.

Records & interpretation

Printed name and complete composition individually inspected in an enlarged historical scan. Explanatory prose is not presented as a fully checked transcription.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   Konjaku Hyakki Shūi

   Toriyama Sekien · 1781; historical digitized edition

   Volume 1; IIIF canvas index 22 (zero-based); printed name 蛇骨婆.

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 recordSmithsonian Libraries — historical illustrated volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
2. Direct primary illustrationNamed primary plate: 蛇骨婆Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Jakotsubaba, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed name 蛇骨婆 and composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual image URL taken from the IIIF manifest.