The ghost of Oiwa emerges from a lantern.
Colour woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), from the series ¡ÆComparison of One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each¡Ç (Ogura nazorae hyakunin isshu), 1845-46
Gift of D. Grigs, EA1971.122 |
A colourful glimpse of the world of Japanese ghosts, demons and monsters is on display in the Eastern Art Paintings and Prints Gallery at the Ashmolean Museum until 27 February 2011. Giant spiders, dancing skeletons, winged goblins and hordes of ghostly warriors are among the spooky subjects depicted in this exhibition of 19th-century woodblock prints from the Ashmolean Museum's collection.
As with most cultures, belief in the supernatural has been deep-rooted in Japanese folklore throughout history. According to Japan¡Çs indigenous Shinto religion, gods reside everywhere - in the forests, the fields, the mountains and in the home. The arrival of Buddhism and Confucian beliefs from the sixth century AD brought with them a host more supernatural beings.
Household objects that come to life, animals with supernatural powers, wicked demons and the vengeful spirits of cruelly-wronged women: tales of the supernatural have long been represented in Japanese art and literature - carved as sculptures, depicted in prints and paintings, and dramatized for the Kabuki and the Bunraku puppet theatre.
This exhibition focuses on prints by celebrated late-nineteenth century artists Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) and their contemporaries. The exhibition is timed to coincide with Halloween, although in Japan ghosts are associated with the hot and humid summer months, when ghost stories bring a welcome shiver to the spine.\
http://www.jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/ |
