Shoki Banner

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

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.

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