In the Muromachi period, pictures of the ship were given to people on Setsubun (the traditional end of winter) night or on New Year's Eve, then were collected following morning after people slept on them to float away on water or to bury, which suggests that Takarabune was considered as something to be washed or to cleanse bad luck.
室町時代には節分の夜か除夜の時人々に船の絵を分け与え、床の下に敷いて寝た後は翌朝集めて流すか、埋めるかしている事から流す物、祓う物と考えていたことが伺える。