Prints depicting Otake

Otake (Otake Dainichi Nyorai) was a humble maidservant of the Sakuma family in Odenma-cho in Edo, who was known for the extreme diligence she brought to even the most menial chores. A group of mountain ascetics, who were searching for the reincarnation of the Nyorai Buddha, found her. When Otake bent down to pick up a few grains of rice that had fallen on the floor, a halo-like light surrounded her, convincing the ascetics that they had come upon a divine being. From April to October, 1849, the Ekôin temple in Ryôgoku held an exhibition of sacred objects related to Otake, called a degaichô (出開帳).

Otake is often portrayed with an object behind her head that resembles a halo, or with a shadow or reflection identifying her as a divine being. Unless otherwise indicated, these prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for his contributions to this section.

	Title: Jiisan basan anesan mukashi banashi Description: The deities Okina Inari, Datsueba and Otake Date: 1849 (censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Unidentified:
	Another state of the above design
	Title: Shibuya Kuritsu Shôtô Bijutsukan, Ukiyoeshitachi no shinbutsu Description: Datsueba is dancing to Okina Inari’s drum and Otake Dainichi’s shamisen Date: 1849 (censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei Linhart: 50/10029
	Title: Description: Datsueba, Okina Inari and Otake Dainichi Date: 1849 (censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Kobayashi Taijirô Linhart: Not lister I am grateful to Julius Tüting for this image.
	Title: A Brief History of Otake Dainichi Nyorai, the Woman Otake Who is an Incarnation of the Dainichi Buddha (Otake Dainichi Nyorai Ryakuengi, おたけ大日如来 略えんぎ) Description: Otake in heaven with a city and Mt. Fuji below Date: 1849 Publisher: Kobayashi Taijirô
	Title: Dharma of the Maidservant Buddha projected onto the shôji (Gejo Nyorai shôji he utsuru hô no kake, 下女如来障子へうつる法のかけ) Description: Two men see Otake’s shadow and realize that she is a reincarnation of the Nyorai Buddha Date: 1849 (censors Mera and Murata) Publisher:
	Title: Ryûkôken Description: The three deities Okina Inari, Datsueba and Otake playing ken Date: 1849 Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi Linhart: 46/10031 NOTE: The small figures show the steps to a dance in the kabuki play Shinki ikken tori no hatsu koe, which was performed in the 2^nd month of 1849 at the Ichimura theater
	Title: Ryûkôken Description: The three deities Okina Inari, Datsueba and Otake playing ken Date: 1849 (censors Fuku and Muramatsu) Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi Linhart: 47/10032 Text: Honorable old woman of the Sanzu River (Omahe Sanzu no Kawa de O-basan…, おまへ三津の川でおばアさん…)
	Title: Otake, the Buddha Dainichi - All Living Beings Pray for Many Things (Otake Dainichi Nyorai - Issaishujô moromoro no gan okakeru, 於竹大日如来　一切衆生もろもろの願をかける) Description: Spectators praying to Otake Date: 1849 (censors Fuku and Muramatsu) Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi
	Title: Otake, the Buddha Dainichi - All Living Beings Pray for Many Things (Otake Dainichi Nyorai - Issaishujô moromoro no gan okakeru, 於竹大日如来　一切衆生もろもろの願をかける) Description: Otake shedding her cloths to reveal herself as a manifestation of Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来), the central deity of Esoteric Buddhism Date: 1849-1851 (censors Fuku and Muramatsu) Publisher: Ôta-ya Takichi
	Title: Kitchen Implements’ Pilgrimage to Otake, the Buddha Dainichi (Otake Dainichi Nyorai daidokoro dôgu sankei no zu, 於竹大日如来だい所どうぐさんけいのづ), Description: Kitchen implements praying to Otake Date: c. 1849 Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei
	Title: Otake, the living Dainichi Nyorai (Otake Dainichi Nyorai no yurai, 於竹 大日 如来の由来) Description: Otake adjusting hanging rope Date: 1849 Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
	Title: Exposition of the Maidservant Otake (Hashitame Otake no setsu, 婢女於竹之説) Description: Otake preparing food Date: 1849 Publisher: Tsujiokaya Bunsuke
	Another state of the above design
	Title: The Legend of the Maidservant Otake Dainichi Nyorai (Otake Dainichi Nyorai no den, 浮世絵に書かれたお竹大日如来) Description: Otake washing the floor Date: 1849 (censors Kinugasa and Yoshimura) Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Description: Otake cleaning a lacquer tray Date: 1849 (censors Kinugasa and Yoshimura) Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei Text: A long time ago, in the village of Takarada in Toshima of Musashi Province a woman, Take, served the wealthy Sakuma family… (むかし武刕豊島郡宝田に佐久間某といふ豪家に召仕ふ竹女…)
	Series: Stories of Wise Women and Faithful Wives (Kenjo reppuden, 賢女烈婦傳) Title: The Maid Take-jo (Kokuji Take-jo, 嬶竹女) Description: Take-jo (Otake Dainichi Nyorai) sprinkling grain for birds Date: 1843-1846 (censor Yoshimura Gentarô) Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô Robinson: S20.20
	Title: The Origin of Otake, the Buddha Dainichi (Otake Dainichi Nyorai no yurai, 於竹大日如来由来) Description: Otake looking down from heaven Date: 1846-1848 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura) Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shôshichi
	Title: Otake, the living Dainichi Nyorai (Great sun Buddha or Vairocana) Description: Date: 1849 Publisher: Kazusa-ya Iwazô

“Linhart” refers to listing in the article ‘Kuniyoshi’s Ken Caricatures between 1847 and 1853’, by Sepp Linhart in Andon, Vol. 83, 2008, pp. 5-29

“Robinson” refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement.

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