#ushi no koku mairi

Visit to a Shrine at the Hour of the Ox 「丑の時参り」

Artist:Suzuki Harunobu /   鈴木春信 　
Year:1765 「Source」

In her hands the woman carries nails and a hammer to drive them into a tree to set a curse. Known as the ushi no toki mairi (ox-hour visit), the curse is cast in the dead of night (the ox hour is around 2 a.m.) and is meant to spite either a faithless lover or a successful rival. Usually, a straw effigy was nailed to a tree near a shrine, and appropriate curses were chanted during the act. Harunobu has omitted the effigy, and the woman is not wearing the iron crown bearing three candles that was normally worn on the occasion. She also does not seem to be cursing. Instead, she looks almost as if dreaming, perhaps of sweet revenge.