Oshiroibaba

Overview

Oshiroibaba bends forward beneath a broad umbrella in a wintry landscape. Her face has heavy wrinkles and half-closed eyes, while long hair or beard-like strands hang below the chin. One hand grips a walking staff and the other carries a small container. Loose sleeves and a layered robe hang around the body. Snow-covered slopes, bare branches and flying birds occupy the background.

The heading 白粉婆 supplies the name associated with white face powder. The picture nevertheless shows a traveller outdoors, with umbrella and staff, rather than a person applying cosmetics before a mirror. This distinction matters when comparing the plate with Aonyōbō’s grooming scene. The exact contents of the carried container are not visible. Its identification should therefore remain tied to the printed name and explanatory text rather than to an invented description of what is inside.

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 21 (zero-based); printed name 白粉婆.

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: 白粉婆Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Oshiroibaba, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

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