Vintage Japanese Yokai Nurarihyon Coaster

This is a replica of a picture scroll drawn by Sawaki Suushi in 1737, in the Edo Period of Japanese history. The scroll collection is called the Hyakkai-Zukan, or The Illustrated Volume of a Hundred Spirits. The youkai, or spirit, depicted here is named Nurarihyon. Nurarihyon (ぬらりひょん), whose name means "slippery-strange," originated as a sea monster, despite his old man appearance. In the legends of Okayama Prefecture, the Nurarihyon's head appeared in the sea floating on the surface. When people tried to catch it, it would repeatedly sink and resuface, as if mocking them. He's basically a funny interpretation of a jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war.