Kintaro dreaming of his childhood

Kintaro dreaming of his childhood, designed by Totoya Hokkei around 1829, is a surimono that turns to one of the most beloved figures of Japanese folklore for its subject. Kintaro, the strong boy raised in the mountains and traditionally associated with the historical warrior Sakata no Kintoki, was an enduring favorite of the Edo print public, embodying ideals of vitality and youthful resilience. By depicting him in a moment of reverie or dream, Hokkei reframes a familiar heroic figure in an introspective key, suited to the literary sensibilities of the kyoka poets for whom the print was made. Hokkei's drawing remains consistent with the Hokusai school manner he developed under Katsushika Hokusai, balancing strong outlines, controlled composition, and a sense of restrained color appropriate to the deluxe surimono medium. The inscribed verses, contributed by the participating poets, would have completed the print's meaning by amplifying its evocative theme, while the limited-edition production with embossing, metallic pigments, and refined registration would have heightened its presentation as a private gift. As one of the most committed surimono specialists among Hokusai's pupils, Totoya Hokkei produced many designs in which familiar narrative subjects served as the basis for refined literary play. The Art Institute of Chicago preserves this impression under accession entry 81020, where it provides a representative example of how Hokkei handled folk-narrative material within the elevated cultural framework of the late Edo kyoka circles.