Shoki Banner

Description

In this print, a portrait of the demon slayer Shoki appears on a fluttering banner. Raising a sword in his right hand, he wards off attackers with his outstretched left hand. Banners featuring Shoki traditionally appeared at the Boys’ Day festival, partly to celebrate the boys in a family and partly to guard against disease. Both Shoki and the color red were believed to be effective barriers against common and often deadly diseases like smallpox.

In addition to illustrating many books, Hanzan also created surimono prints for poetry groups active in the Osaka and Kyoto areas. He signed this work with the term oju, indicating that it was made in return for a friendly request, perhaps from Kiitsu, the leader of this poetry gathering.

Shoki Banner

Matsukawa Hanzan

1864

Accession Number

42508

Medium

Color woodblock print; surimono

Dimensions

24.8 × 18.2 cm (9 13/16 × 7 3/16 in.)

Classification

woodblock print

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Charles H. Mitchell Collection unrestricted gift