One Hundred Monsters Ancient and Modern - Toriyama Sekien

A woodblock print from Toriyama Sekien's 1780 collection, depicting the Shinkirō, a mythological clam capable of creating mirages of castles.

This woodblock print originates from the third volume of Toriyama Sekien's final collection, Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, published in 1780. Sekien was a prominent artist of the Edo period, known for his systematic documentation of Japanese folklore and supernatural entities, collectively known as yōkai. His work functioned as a visual encyclopaedia, cataloguing creatures from oral traditions, classical literature, and contemporary urban legends.

The image depicts the Shinkirō, a creature associated with the mirage phenomenon. In Japanese folklore, the clam is believed to exhale a vapour that manifests as elaborate castles or towers in the sky. The composition is divided across two pages, typical of the format for these printed books. On the left, a detailed architectural structure appears within a cloud-like bubble, representing the mirage itself. Below, various shells and a crab are scattered on the shore. On the right, a large clam sits amidst stylised waves, emitting a plume of vapour that connects to the vision above.

Sekien employs a refined, calligraphic line quality, characteristic of his training in the Kanō school of painting. The shading is achieved through subtle variations in line density rather than colour, creating a sense of depth within the monochrome print. The text accompanying the illustration provides the mythological context, explaining the connection between the clam and the atmospheric illusion. This piece offers a glimpse into the intersection of natural history and supernatural belief in eighteenth-century Japan. It remains a primary source for the study of yōkai iconography and the development of Japanese print culture during the Edo period.