Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre

Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre or Mitsukuni Defying the Skeleton Spectre Invoked by Princess Takiyasha (Japanese: 相馬の古内裏 妖怪がしゃどくろと戦う大宅太郎光圀) is an ukiyo-e woodblock triptych by Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861). Kuniyoshi was known for his depictions of historical and mythical scenes, and combined both in portraying the tenth-century princess Takiyasha summoning a skeleton spectre to frighten Ōya no Mitsukuni.

In the image, the princess recites a spell written on a handscroll, summoning a giant skeleton. It rears out of a black void, crashing its way through the tattered palace blinds with its bony fingers to menace Mitsukuni and his companion.

A copy of the print is housed in the Honolulu Museum of Art in the United States, having been donated by its previous owner, Victor S. K. Houston, in 1941.^[1]