circa 1954, 17.5 by 11.5 inches. Torii Kotondo (1900-1976; also known as Kiyotada V, Torii VIII, Kiyonobu, Masahiko) was the son of Kiyotada IV (the seventh master of the Torii school), who taught Kotondo the art of making theatre signs. In 1914 he began studying yamato-e with Kobori Tomone; in 1915 he began producing magazine illustrationsl in 1918 he began studying with the bijin-ga artist Kaburagi Kiyokata, and in 1922 and 1923 produced a number of bijin prints. In 1929 Kiyotada IV retired and Kotondo became the eighth master of the Torii school, concentrating on Showa bijin prints. He later became and art director for the imperial theater and movies, worked with the Meiji-za and Kabuki-za theatres, served as an art consultant for television, and taught theatrical art at the Art department at Nihon University. According to legend, in late 10th century of the Heian Period, Ibaraki, a demon notorious for its cruelty, stalked the Rashomon Gate in Kyoto, harassing those who tried to pass. Finally, Watanabe no Tsuna, a heroic samurai and a loyal retainer of Minamoto no Raiko, went to the Rashomon Gate to subdue Ibaraki. When Tsuna arrived at the gate, Ibaraki immediately attacked. Tsuna drew his sword katana and severed one of Ibaraki's arms. Screaming in pain, Ibaraki fled, leaving his arm at the gate, and Tsuna took the arm as a trophy. When he arrived home at his mansion he wrapped the severed arm and locked it in a tansu for safe keeping.
A few days later, an old woman appearing to be Tsuna's elderly Aunt Mashiba, came to visit Tsuna. During the conversation, Tsuna's aunt asked to hear about the fight with the demon, and when Tsuna mentioned that he had the severed arm in his possession, his aunt was curious and asked to see it. When Tsuna returned with the arm, his "aunt" revealed herself as Ibaraki in disguise. The demon snatched the arm and fled Tsuna's mansion. Tsuna was so astonished that Ibaraki had posed as his aunt that he did not give chase. Even after retrieving his arm, Ibaraki never again returned to lurk at Rashomon Gate.
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