Furu-utsubo - 古空穂 - [Yokai|Tsukumogami]

Furu-Utsubo - 古空穂（ふるうつぼ) - Aka: “Old Quiver” - [Yokai | Tsukumogami] 

• About this yokai: An antiquated arrow quiver used for hunting, said to have once been owned by legendary Minamoto general and renown archer Miura Yoshiaki. It was mainly used for hunting foxes in the Nasuno plain. After Yoshiaki died heroically defending his castle & family against the invading Taira clan, his quiver, seemingly in mourning, came to life! Now it scuttles about wildly, much like the beasts they once hunted.

• Origin: Furu-Utsubo is yet another Tsukumogami which was earliest described and illustrated by Toriyama Sekien in his "Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro” (1784)  Toriyama’s included entry goes as follows: 

“Perhaps Furu-utsubo was that used by Miura-no-suke & Kazusa-no-suke who killed the fox of Nasuno plain. So I dreamed.”  - [Translation: Japandemonium Illustrated 2017.]

Toriyama Sekiens - Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro or "horde of haunted housewares" (vol 3). [1784] - Image source: Smithsonian]

• The object in question: an "Utsubo” is a Japanese Quiver which was used by samurai, horseback archers, and hunters. Typically it was worn over the right hip. The quiver is made of hollowed bamboo and covered in an animal pelt to resemble a tail. Usually boars, deer or more rarely monkey pelts would be used. The arrows would be placed inside facing down towards the leather or lacquered front. The arrow's feathers would sit safely in the wider fluffy “tail” end. The covers for the front end somewhat resembles a ":•|" face (probably part of this yokai’s ‘joke’)

• History: The two warriors mentioned inToriyama’s description for Furu-Utsubo were military generals of the Minamoto clan who famously hunted & killed the evil kitsune, Tamamo-no-Mae [full story here.] Miura took the killing shot and Kazusa used his sword to finish her off. After being killed, Tamamo-no-Mae’s body turned to stone and became the legendary Sessho-seki. The two generals also became legends in their own right, being immortalized in woodblock prints & in kabuki theatre (with of course, some exaggerations to the tale). But unlike the legend of Tamamo-no-Mae, the two men were quite real. It’s well documented that they were also quite active during the Heian period's Genpei war. It's often said that Miura sacrificed himself heroically defending his family from the invading Taira clan.  

[Miura-no-suke confronts Tamamo-no-Mae. late 1820s.]

[a triptych featuring the men hunting Tamamo-no-Mae on horse back By Kunihisha II 1831-1891]

• Earlier appearances: Furu-Utsubo was seemingly inspired by earlier unnamed quiver yokai which appeared in earlier Hyakki Yagyo Emaki picture scrolls from the Muromachi period & onward. (Such as the ones below) Sekien's take on a ‘quiver tsukumogami‘ is quite unique as unlike these, it is not depicted with a bow or walking on two legs. I suppose that because Furu-Utsubo is more animalistic and this early quiver yokai is humanoid, one could also argue that they're separate species of yokai entirely. But I digress, these earlier yokai likely served as his inspiration to include a quiver monster in the first place so they’re worth mentioning here.

[a utsubo yokai from Late Muromachi Era-Early Edo Period ‘Hyakki Yagyo Emaki’  which likely served as inspiration for Toriyama’s yokai]


[A later, similarly inspired "kitsune-quiver" obake (note the yellow tails & furry limbs) as illustrated in 1890 by Kawanabe Kyosai  Source: NDL digital collection]

• A few other mounted armor inspired tsukumogami also by Toriyama Sekien include: “Mukumukabi", “Kurayaro” & “Abumiguchi” 

[Art sticker & Writing by @SamKalensky (yo, thats me!) Editing by @Cattype. Part of my Hyakki Yagyo Night Parade of 100 yokai sticker series. Follow & check my shop out for many more!]