Menreiki

Overview

Menreiki appears through a group of theatrical masks arranged beside a patterned folding screen and a lattice panel. A deeply lined elderly face hangs high on the right, with long ties extending downward. Several masks gather on the floor, including a horned grimacing face and a round-eyed, toothed countenance. A decorated circular object and other theatrical fittings fill the space behind them.

The exact printed heading 面霊気 identifies the masks as the supernatural subject. Sekien does not supply a single whole body; expression, grouping and the recognizable objects carry the apparition. The image therefore supports an assemblage of animated faces rather than a fixed animal anatomy. This profile preserves the variety visible in the plate while leaving specific claims about their maker, sacred origin or powers to separately verified textual interpretation.

Origins & earliest records

Toriyama Sekien, Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro, first published 1784; volume 3 named plate directly inspected in the Smithsonian digitization. The final colophon states Tenmei 4 (1784) and a Bunka 2 (1805) reprint.

Records & interpretation

Printed label 面霊気 and composition directly checked against the enlarged plate. This is an illustrated object apparition; an independent local oral tradition is not assumed.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro

   Toriyama Sekien · 1784

   Volume 3; IIIF canvas index 3 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV3Tori_0004.jp2. This selected digitized copy includes later reprint information.

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 recordHyakki Tsurezure Bukuro — Smithsonian Libraries volume 3Research access: 2026-10-05
2. Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationMenreiki (面霊気) — exact inspected illustrationResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Menreiki, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed label 面霊気 directly inspected with the enlarged composition. Theatrical masks gathered beside a screen provide the subject of Sekien’s Menreiki plate. Exact URL copied from the returned manifest.