Artwork

Ushi-no-toki mairi|Woman in the Rain at Midnight Driving a Nail into a Tree to Invoke Evil on Her Unfaithful Lover

Ushi-no-toki mairi|Woman in the Rain at Midnight Driving a Nail into a Tree to Invoke Evil on Her Unfaithful Lover is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Totoya Hokkei. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Totoya Hokkei’s 1850 woodblock print, titled Ushi‑no‑toki mairi (Woman in the Rain at Midnight Driving a Nail into a Tree to Invoke Evil on Her Unfaithful Lover), belongs to a surimono album of ink and color on paper. The work is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and exemplifies the narrative prints popular in mid‑nineteenth‑century Japan.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a solitary woman in a flowing white robe edged with red and blue, standing beneath a torrent of rain. She grips a hammer and drives a nail into a tree trunk, her expression concentrated and angry. Accompanying Japanese text suggests a ritualistic act intended to curse an unfaithful lover, turning a domestic scene into a dramatic moral tableau.

Technique & Style

Executed as a surimono, the print combines fine ink line work with subtle color washes. Hokkei employs cross‑hatching to render the rain’s texture and the tree’s bark, while the dark background and slanted rain lines create a sense of movement. The contrast between the luminous white garment and the stormy atmosphere highlights the figure’s emotional intensity.

History & Provenance

Created in 1850, the print was originally part of a limited‑edition album circulated among literati and poetry societies. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through a 20th‑century acquisition, reflecting the museum’s effort to represent the breadth of ukiyo‑e print production beyond the more widely known commercial series.

Context

Surimono prints like this one were often commissioned for private gatherings, allowing artists such as Hokkei to experiment with narrative detail and sophisticated printing techniques. The work reflects Edo‑period beliefs in folk magic and the use of ritual objects—here a nail and hammer—to invoke supernatural retribution, a theme recurrent in contemporary literature and theater.