Kerakeraonna

Overview

Kerakeraonna leans above a wall or roof edge, with one arm raised over her head and the other hand near her mouth. Her eyes narrow into curved lines and a row of teeth is visible in the open smile. Dark hair is gathered high, contrasting with a robe decorated in repeating floral patterns. A tree below the architectural edge supplies a second scale reference.

The title 倩兮女 identifies the laughing woman. Sekien’s cropped composition makes the figure seem to loom above the ordinary building and vegetation, without showing her whole body. The grin and gesture support the visual theme of laughter. No sound, listener or aftermath is depicted, however, so a specific laugh and its effect on a traveller are not reconstructed from the image. The historical plate preserves the expression and implied scale.

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 24 (zero-based); printed name 倩兮女.

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: 倩兮女Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Kerakeraonna, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

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