Nagakaburi

Overview

Nagakaburi appears as a seated or hovering figure in an elaborate patterned robe. Its head incorporates a court cap with a long projecting upper section and rounded mesh-like sides. A single visible eye, a toothed opening and thin hanging cords turn this ceremonial headwear into a face. The figure holds a flat tablet before an architectural scene with trees and a railed veranda.

The printed title 長冠 identifies the long cap rather than a named human courtier. Dots along the lower outline distinguish the figure from the solid timber and stone around it. The composition personifies an article of formal dress while retaining signs of rank and ritual posture. It documents a particular illustrated animated object; an owner’s biography or an independent oral history is not established by the inspected image.

Origins & earliest records

Toriyama Sekien, Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro, first published 1784; volume 1 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 長冠 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 1; IIIF canvas index 17 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV1Tori_0018.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 1Research access: 2026-10-05
2. Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationNagakaburi (長冠) — exact inspected illustrationResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Nagakaburi, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed label 長冠 directly inspected with the enlarged composition. An elongated court cap forms the head of a richly robed figure in Sekien’s Nagakaburi plate. Exact URL copied from the returned manifest.