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Description
A sketch of two actors, Sakata Kintoki and Tsuchigumo in a play from the story of Raiko and the Earth Spider. In this tale, Raiko, while on a quest in search of a giant flying skull, found himself feeling ill and retired for the night. A servant boy (or in some versions, a beautiful woman) brought him medicine, but Raiko continued to grow ill. Suspecting mischief, he waited for the boy's next visit and struck him with his sword, causing the boy to flee the house. This broke the spell and Raiko found himself ensnared in a spider's web. Freed by his retainers, Raiko followed the trail of blood and at the end found a huge spider, dead from a sword wound. The print depicts the earth spider wearing a belt of cords which trail away into a web; his/her supernatural nature is indicated by the lack of feet. It is turning away from the sleeping Raiko, who lies beneath a lantern with his head on a go board and his sword beside him.
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