UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)

The demonic attendants of the Shinto god of thunder, Raijin, are shown humorously engaged in the day to day activities of an Edo townsman. The fierce muscular deity and his retinue have met similar treatment in the comedic giga genre of woodblock prints, particularly towards the end of the Edo period. Kuniyoshi shows the demons in various poses, from sharpening thunderbolts in the vein of a blacksmith, to painting in the black colour of the rainclouds soon to release a downpour. Two of the attendants perform a festive dance, using the drums (taiko) that are often shown encircling Raijin in most depictions, and which encircle the title cartouche.

For another print of a similar theme in the collection of the British Museum, museum no. 2008,3037.11801, go to:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2008-3037-11801

And also, in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 11.21660, go to:
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/213602/prelude-to-a-thundershower-yudachi-no-maebure-lightning-g