from the series Kyōsai Hyakuzu (One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai)publisher: Okura Magobei (Okuraya)A humorous and imaginative design from Kyōsai’s celebrated series Kyōsai Hyakuzu (One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai), portraying two related scenes of creative labor infused with his characteristic wit and irony. In the upper panel, a master artist works calmly at his desk while an elderly woman assists him. Watching the pair with fascination is a horned oni, a traditional Japanese demon, captivated by the act of creation — a wry inversion in which even chaos is subdued by artistic discipline. In the lower panel, another artist struggles to work amid noise and distraction, surrounded by children and apprentices. Behind him, several figures overturn a barrel, creating comic disorder. Kyōsai humorously contrasts creative focus and worldly turmoil, perhaps reflecting his own experience as an artist navigating the demands of daily life. By combining folkloric fantasy with self-aware observation, Kyōsai transforms simple scenes into allegories of human creativity and discipline. This print stands among the most witty and perceptive designs of the Kyōsai Hyakuzu series, embodying his unique synthesis of imagination, irony, and insight.