Shôki the Demon-queller is an 18th-century painting by Okumura Masanobu. It is a woodblock print created during the Edo period. "Shôki the Demon-Queller" by Okumura Masanobu is a lively 18th-century Japanese woodblock print. The print makes use of the hashira-e (pillar print) style, where a high and narrow composition is created for the purpose of decorating pillars at home. The painting shows the legendary Chinese demon fighter, Shôki, who is depicted in an energetic, mid-stride posture. In order to make full use of the limited vertical space, Masanobu skillfully crops the edges of Shôki's high hat and clothes to create a sense of overwhelming size and movement.Masanobu illustrates Shôki as a scary-looking character with glaring eyes, bushy beard, and a menacing look in the eyes. The Chinese demon fighter is wearing traditional scholar's robes, thick black boots and an official cap together with the sword used for killing demons.Masanobu applies bold lines to depict the heavy robes and delicate, calligraphy-like strokes to illustrate the delicate features of the face and hair. Commonly accompanied by hand-coloring or glossy black ink, the impressive picture was used not only as a piece of artistic creation but also as a talisman to keep away disease and evil spirits.
This print shows Shôki as a powerful, larger-than-life protector. By cutting off his hat and robes at the edges, Masanobu makes him look too big for the picture, almost bursting out of it. His fierce glare and strong, mid-step pose make him feel alive and ready to fight off evil. The bold, heavy lines on his robes give him strength, while the finer lines on his face and hair add detail. Beyond being a nice piece of art, people hung this print at home because they believed Shôki's fierce image could actually scare away sickness and evil spirits.
