Actor Scattering Peas; A Ceremony of Exorcism for the New Year 1800 - 1820

Kubo Shunman created this woodblock print around the turn of the 19th century in Japan. It depicts an actor enacting a traditional New Year's ceremony of exorcism. The image gives us insight into the social role of theater in Edo period Japan. Here, an actor is represented as a heroic figure, warding off evil spirits. This connects with the theatrical traditions of Japan in this period, like Noh and Kabuki, which were closely associated with the values of the ruling samurai class, and were often used to stage moral allegories. The print also shows the interweaving of theatrical culture with religious ritual. The activity of scattering peas was a real religious ceremony meant to purify the home and guarantee good fortune. Here, we see it repurposed as a theatrical performance. Prints like this were often commissioned and circulated among fans, serving as a kind of publicity for actors and plays. Scholars study playbills and theater reviews to learn more about the significance of such performances. Studying popular prints like this one helps us understand the ways that the cultural values of a society get synthesized with its traditions of art and entertainment.