I stumbled upon a trove of Edo periodofuda 御札, or protective talisman, while searching through archives at the Nagano Prefectural Historical Museum last week. While some may have been purchased at a temple or shrine, others were likely distributed by oshi (pilgrimage guides) to their patrons, who may have lived far from the site.
Ofuda were generally hung inside the household in order to provide protection from burglary, natural disasters, and so forth. They were mass-printed on woodblock and often bore the stamp of the associated temple or shrine. The images and character styles themselves are quite beautiful.
