Kameosa, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed label 甌長 directly inspected in the enlarged image. An elongated jar develops a face, hair and clawed hands in Sekien’s Kameosa illustration. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
Overview
Kameosa appears as a long, curved vessel with a human-like face at its upper end. Dark patches resemble hair over the forehead, while a pointed tongue projects from the mouth. Curled decoration or smoke-like outlines run along the body, and a clawed hand extends from one side. A bucket, fence and climbing plants establish an outdoor household scene around the jar-shaped apparition.
The title 甌長 fixes the named identity of the vessel figure. Its elongated container body remains visible even after face and limbs are added, placing it among Sekien’s animated objects. This inspected witness does not demonstrate an inexhaustible supply of drink or food, nor establish a particular owner’s story. Such later narrative attributes need independent sources rather than inference from the presence of a jar.
Origins & earliest records
Toriyama Sekien, Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro (1784), 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 甌長, 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.
- 01
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro
Volume 3; IIIF canvas index 14 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV3Tori_0015.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
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro
Volume 3; Smithsonian Libraries digitization. IIIF canvas index 14 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV3Tori_0015.jp2
Printed label 甌長 directly inspected in the enlarged image. An elongated jar develops a face, hair and clawed hands in Sekien’s Kameosa illustration. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Institutional primary-book recordHyakki Tsurezure Bukuro — institutional volume 3Research access: 2026-10-05
- Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationKameosa (甌長) — inspected primary plateResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationKameosa, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed label 甌長 directly inspected in the enlarged image. An elongated jar develops a face, hair and clawed hands in Sekien’s Kameosa illustration. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
