Sakata Kintoki Wrestling with a Tengu

About this artwork

The man depicted here is Kintoki, a hero from Japanese folklore famous for engaging supernatural beings in battle. His birth name was Kintarō, and he had legendary strength even while still a boy. Here he is shown wrestling with a tengu, a type of mythical birdman said to live on Mount Kurama, north of Kyoto. The hand coloring is primarily red (tan), derived from red lead, and green (roku), made from malachite, a scheme that was popular before multicolored printing was introduced. Despite the li...

Art Historical Context

Behold the dynamic "Sakata Kintoki with a Tengu," hand-colored woodblock print Torii Kiyomasu, created around 1715-18. This o-oban sized work (a generous 68.8 × 32.8 cm) captures the legendary superhuman warrior Sakata Kintoki one of the Four Heavenly Kings Japanese folklore—in a fierce grapple with a Tengu, the mischievous mountain-dwelling demon with avian features. Kiyomasu I, a master of the Torii school, brings raw energy to the scene, blending heroism and the supernatural in true ukiyo-e spirit. As an early tan-e print ("red picture"), it showcases pioneering hand-coloring techniques on woodblock, where artisans meticulously applied vibrant hues like reds and oranges directly to the paper after printing the black outlines. This predates the more complex full-color nishiki-e of later masters like Hiroshige, making it a vital snapshot of Edo-period innovation (1603-1868). Produced during the vibrant Genroku era's cultural boom, such prints popularized kabuki theater themes and yokai folklore among urban audiences in Japan. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this piece highlights the Torii school's foundational role in actor prints (yakusha-e), influencing ukiyo-e's golden age. Its large scale and bold composition invite viewers to feel the thrill of the wrestle, bridging myth and artistry for all ages.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyomasu I · 1696–1716

Torii Kiyomasu I was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist working in the early eighteenth century, closely associated with the Torii school, one of the most important lineages in the history of Japanese woodblock printmaking. The Torii school was founded by Torii Kiyonobu, and Kiyomasu I is believed to have been either his son or a close pupil — the precise family relationship remains a matter of scholarly d...