Teratsutsuki, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed title寺つつき and actual illustration inspected. Description records visible composition, not an unchecked translation of cursive text.
Overview
Teratsutsuki is drawn with a small bird head at the end of a neck that stretches far above a seated, robed body. The bird's open beak faces outward, while the humanlike body folds its arms before a low surface. A writing implement, small vessels and a wall panel surround it. The extended neck creates a conspicuous break between the ordinary interior and the creature occupying it.
The label 寺つつき identifies this as Sekien's temple-pecking subject. Explanatory columns accompany the image, but this profile does not offer an unchecked translation of them. The distinctive bird-and-clothed-body combination is supported directly by the scan. Historical claims about an anti-Buddhist official or a posthumous transformation need their separate narrative witnesses.
Origins & earliest records
Toriyama Sekien includes the named illustration in Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki, first published 1779. The inspected Smithsonian copy is a later historical edition; the first book appearance is not a claim of the earliest oral tradition.
Records & interpretation
Directly inspected historical illustration and printed name. Pictorial observations are distinguished from narrative claims that would require a separate checked text.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki
Volume 1, IIIF canvas index 19 (zero-based); printed title 寺つつき directly 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
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki
Volume1; Smithsonian Libraries copy. IIIF canvas index 19 (zero-based)
Printed title寺つつき and actual illustration inspected. Description records visible composition, not an unchecked translation of cursive text.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Institutional primary-book recordSmithsonian Libraries — historical illustrated volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Direct primary illustrationNamed primary plate: 寺つつきResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationTeratsutsuki, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed title寺つつき and actual illustration inspected. Description records visible composition, not an unchecked translation of cursive text.
