Kintoki Chasing a Demon

Entry

Kintoki dressed in formal attire with court-trousers chasing away a demon, oni, by throwing beans from a rice-measure on an offering stand. At top right a twisted straw rope, shimenawa, with paper slips, gohei, orange leaves, daidai, and ferns, urajiro.

Kintoki, also Kintaro, the posthumous child of Sakata no Kurando, was raised in the Ashigara Mountains by his mother Yaegiri, commonly known as Yamauba. He is recognisable from the large character Kin on his clothing.

The ritual house cleaning on New Year's Eve - a task mostly performed by women - also required that the master of the house throw beans in all the corners while calling 'Luck come in, demons go out', 'Fuku wa uchi oni wa soto', which is the subject of this print. The twisted straw rope above the figures seems to include an indication of the long and short months, but how they should be interpreted as a means for dating this print could not be established.

One poem by Tachibana no Suzunari [1752-1836, possibly identical to Fukurindo Suzunari, family name Tachibanaya Choemon].³
The poem reads:
It is the wild crows that force open the door of heaven - pulling a dark face, Spring follows.

Issued by the poet
Unsigned