Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural | Spencer Museum of Art

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Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural

Stephen Addiss, curator

Asia Society Galleries, New York, New York

Japanese art, particularly during the Edo period, portrays a host of fascinating supernatural beings. The museum's collection of 19th century wood-block prints, supplemented by loans, was drawn upon for this popular exhibition which opened at the Asia Society Galleries in New York City. The catalogue and programs were supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Works of art

Ushiwaka and Sōjōbō, Yashima Gakutei — Yashima Gakutei

Ushiwaka and Sōjōbō, 1820s, Edo period (1600–1868)

badger and rabbit, Kita Busei; Tatekawa Emba II — Kita Busei; Tatekawa Emba II

badger and rabbit, 1831, Edo period (1600–1868)

Susanoo no mikoto preparing to slay an eight-headed dragon, Keisai Eisen — Keisai Eisen

Susanoo no mikoto preparing to slay an eight-headed dragon, 1832, Edo period (1600–1868)

inro, netsuke, ojime (fox wedding scene), Shiomi Masanari — Shiomi Masanari

inro, netsuke, ojime (fox wedding scene), early 1700s

netsuke (Hannya mask) — Shiomi Masanari

netsuke (Hannya mask), date unknown

netsuke (fox mask), Deme Uman — Deme Uman

netsuke (fox mask), circa 1772–1780, Edo period (1600–1868)

netsuke (mask of Hannya with glass eyes) — Deme Uman

netsuke (mask of Hannya with glass eyes), 1800s

netsuke (toad) — Deme Uman

netsuke (toad), 1800s

netsuke (exorcizing oni with beans), Suzuki Kosai — Suzuki Kosai

netsuke (exorcizing oni with beans), late 1800s

netsuke (Gama Sennin with his toad) — Suzuki Kosai

netsuke (Gama Sennin with his toad), 1700s

netsuke (Nō mask) — Suzuki Kosai

netsuke (Nō mask), 1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)

netsuke (oni) — Suzuki Kosai

netsuke (oni), 1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)

netsuke (oni) — Suzuki Kosai

netsuke (oni), date unknown

#37 Akasaka nawate michi nite yajirō kitahachi o kitsune to omoite chōchaku suru (Akasaka, Yajiro Beats Kitahachi Thinking He is a Fox), Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige

#37 Akasaka nawate michi nite yajirō kitahachi o kitsune to omoite chōchaku suru (Akasaka, Yajiro Beats Kitahachi Thinking He is a Fox), 1855–1857, Edo period (1600–1868)

Shoki, the Demon-Queller, Okumura Masanobu — Okumura Masanobu

Shoki, the Demon-Queller, circa 1740s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Qingao riding a carp, Totoya Hokkei — Totoya Hokkei

Qingao riding a carp, circa 1820, Edo period (1600–1868)

Onoe Kikugoro III as Ghost of Oiwa, Shunkōsai Hokushū — Shunkōsai Hokushū

Onoe Kikugoro III as Ghost of Oiwa, 1826, 1st month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Fūryū kume sennin (A Fashionable Depiction of Kume the Transcendent), Okumura Masanobu — Okumura Masanobu

Fūryū kume sennin (A Fashionable Depiction of Kume the Transcendent), 1710s or late 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Spirit of Sakura Sogoro haunting Hotta Kozuke, Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Hayashiiya Shogoro — Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Hayashiiya Shogoro

Spirit of Sakura Sogoro haunting Hotta Kozuke, circa 1850, Edo period (1600–1868)

政岡 Masaoka, #16 (The Spectre of Nikki Danjō), Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

政岡 Masaoka, #16 (The Spectre of Nikki Danjō), circa 1841–1842, Edo period (1600–1868)

道化拳合 Dōke ken awase (Comic handgames) (caricatures of actors as three animals playing ken), Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

道化拳合 Dōke ken awase (Comic handgames) (caricatures of actors as three animals playing ken), 1847, 2nd month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Shodōgu yoriai uwasa hanashi 諸道具寄合噂はなし (A Gossip Meeting Between Various Tools), Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Shodōgu yoriai uwasa hanashi 諸道具寄合噂はなし (A Gossip Meeting Between Various Tools), 1847–1850, Edo period (1600–1868)

#49 Lantern Ghost of Oiwa (Hebiyama; Snake Mountain), Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

#49 Lantern Ghost of Oiwa (Hebiyama; Snake Mountain), circa 1845–1847, Edo period (1600–1868)

Nissaka (The Nightly Weeping Rock), Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Iba-ya Sensaburo — Utagawa Kuniyoshi; Iba-ya Sensaburo

Nissaka (The Nightly Weeping Rock), circa 1845–1846, Edo period (1600–1868)

Ghost of Iga Shikibunojō Mitsumune and Iganokotarō Asayuki, Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

Ghost of Iga Shikibunojō Mitsumune and Iganokotarō Asayuki, 1852, 6th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Kohada Kohaiji Mitate Nyōbō Asaka Iwai Shijaku II (Ghost of Kobata Kohaiji), Shunbaisai Hokuei — Shunbaisai Hokuei

Kohada Kohaiji Mitate Nyōbō Asaka Iwai Shijaku II (Ghost of Kobata Kohaiji), circa 1831, Edo period (1600–1868)

Iemon Nyōbō Oiwa (Lantern Ghost of Oiwa), Shunbaisai Hokuei — Shunbaisai Hokuei

Iemon Nyōbō Oiwa (Lantern Ghost of Oiwa), circa 1831, Edo period (1600–1868)

greedy old woman opens box of demons (The Greedy Hag), 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi — 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

greedy old woman opens box of demons (The Greedy Hag), 1865, Edo period (1600–1868)

Fuwa Bansaku and the Monster, 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi — 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Fuwa Bansaku and the Monster, 1865, 8th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Spirit of General Tamichi as a Great Snake, 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi — 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Spirit of General Tamichi as a Great Snake, 1880, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō), Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

Minikuchi eki goto kaigo no zu (A Gathering of Magicians at Minakuchi on the Tōkaidō), circa 1850, Edo period (1600–1868)

actors Onow Kikugoro III and Ichikawa Monnosuke III in thunderstorm on banks of Sumida River, Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

actors Onow Kikugoro III and Ichikawa Monnosuke III in thunderstorm on banks of Sumida River, 1820s, Edo period (1600–1868)

actors in roles as the ghosts of Kamata Matahachi and Kikuno, Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

actors in roles as the ghosts of Kamata Matahachi and Kikuno, 1855, 7th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Scene from Banchō Sarayashiki, Toyohara Kunichika — Toyohara Kunichika

Scene from Banchō Sarayashiki, 1892, 10th month, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Gods disguised as prospective customers of a brothel (demons disguised as brothel customers), Utagawa Yoshiiku — Utagawa Yoshiiku

Gods disguised as prospective customers of a brothel (demons disguised as brothel customers), 1860, Edo period (1600–1868)

Taoist Priest (Gama and Tekkai), Hara Zaichū — Hara Zaichū

Taoist Priest (Gama and Tekkai), late 1700s–early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Taoist Priest (Gama and Tekkai), Hara Zaichū — Hara Zaichū

Taoist Priest (Gama and Tekkai), late 1700s–early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Ariwara No Narihira as the Ghost of Seigen, Utagawa Kunisada — Utagawa Kunisada

Ariwara No Narihira as the Ghost of Seigen, 1852, 10th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Actor Nakamura Shojura as Mitsukuni, Utagawa Yoshitaki — Utagawa Yoshitaki

Actor Nakamura Shojura as Mitsukuni, circa 1880s, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Night Parade of 100 Demons (frog triptych), Utagawa Yoshiiku — Utagawa Yoshiiku

Night Parade of 100 Demons (frog triptych), 1893, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Mitsukuni Defying the Skeleton Spectre Invoked by Princess Takiyasha, Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Mitsukuni Defying the Skeleton Spectre Invoked by Princess Takiyasha, circa 1844, Edo period (1600–1868)

Tsuchigumo (Earth Spider), Utagawa Yoshitsuya — Utagawa Yoshitsuya

Tsuchigumo (Earth Spider), circa 1847–1852, Edo period (1600–1868)

Priest Raigō of Mii Temple Transformed into a Rat, 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi — 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Priest Raigō of Mii Temple Transformed into a Rat, 1891, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Humourous Record of Japanese History (One Hundred Devils Out at Night), Utagawa Yoshiiku — Utagawa Yoshiiku

Humourous Record of Japanese History (One Hundred Devils Out at Night), 1894, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Humourous Record of Japanese History [One Hundred Devils Out at Night], Utagawa Yoshiiku — Utagawa Yoshiiku

Humourous Record of Japanese History [One Hundred Devils Out at Night], 1894, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Humourous Record of Japanese History [One Hundred Devils Out at Night], Utagawa Yoshiiku — Utagawa Yoshiiku

Humourous Record of Japanese History [One Hundred Devils Out at Night], 1894, Meiji period (1868–1912)