Yama-oroshi, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed label 山颪 directly inspected in the enlarged image. A spiny, clawed figure appears among grating and kitchen utensils in Sekien’s Yama-oroshi plate. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
Overview
Yama-oroshi is represented by a crouching creature with a dense crest of sharp spikes over its head and back. One arm rises to the forehead, while an extended hand and broad clawed foot support its awkward posture. Household and cooking utensils occupy the lower portion of the composition, including a long flat toothed object laid across a small work stand.
The exact title 山颪 identifies this illustrated being. Its spines and the nearby tool create an object-related grotesque, making the kitchen setting relevant to identification rather than incidental scenery. This is distinct from the large hearth cat Gotoku-neko on another page. The print provides visible form and material associations; the precise verbal pun and any tale about the object’s former use await fuller textual interpretation.
Origins & earliest records
Toriyama Sekien, Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro (1784), volume 3; selected named plate directly inspected in the institutional digitization. This is not a claim that an oral tradition began in that year.
Records & interpretation
Printed label 山颪, image composition and exact manifest URL directly checked. Explanatory cursive text is not completely transcribed; unverified narrative powers are omitted.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro
Volume 3; IIIF canvas index 13 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV3Tori_0014.jp2. Individually enlarged and 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
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro
Volume 3; Smithsonian Libraries digitization. IIIF canvas index 13 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV3Tori_0014.jp2
Printed label 山颪 directly inspected in the enlarged image. A spiny, clawed figure appears among grating and kitchen utensils in Sekien’s Yama-oroshi plate. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Institutional primary-book recordHyakki Tsurezure Bukuro — institutional volume 3Research access: 2026-10-05
- Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationYama-oroshi (山颪) — inspected primary plateResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationYama-oroshi, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed label 山颪 directly inspected in the enlarged image. A spiny, clawed figure appears among grating and kitchen utensils in Sekien’s Yama-oroshi plate. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
