{"id":6750,"date":"2024-12-16T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diluo.digital.conncoll.edu\/Asianart\/?p=6750"},"modified":"2026-10-15T07:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T12:07:10","slug":"monsters-and-demons-in-japanese-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diluo.digital.conncoll.edu\/Asianart\/uncategorized\/monsters-and-demons-in-japanese-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Monsters and Demons in Japanese Art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Monstrous and demonic entities have remained some of Japans most popular artistic subjects through the ages. As religious beings, representing hardship, or simply an aesthetic choice, these motifs have stood the test of time and remained culturally relevant for thousands of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demons and Monsters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takai K\u014dzan
ca. 1870s
Hanging Scroll
Meiji Period (1868-1912)
132 x 67 cm (image)
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2022
2022.432.23<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This scroll depicts several creatures, painted in a sketchy style. K\u014dzan claimed later on that he was depicting monsters that he saw when he closed his eyes. It is also likely that this depiction was an expression of the stress being felt by the higher class (such as himself) when the country was opening up to the west and the shogunate was losing power. He was devoted to zen buddhism during his life, and worked to form friendships with other artists of the time, such as Hokusai, whom he later studied under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scenes of the Buddhist Hell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sh\u014dsai
Second half of 19th century
Hanging Scroll (Ink on silk)
Edo (1615-1868) – Meiji Period (1868-1912)
195.4 x 84.4 cm (image)
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2020
2020.170<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This image depicts the buddhist hell, including various torturous punishments towards its souls. The demons are depicted as inhuman, with sickly green or bright red skin. The punishments depicted include a human tied upside down on a tree or pillar, humans walking in lava, others begging for mercy, among many others. Unlike the prior piece, these demons are shown in color, interacting with humans\/souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woman with a Demon Mask Teasing a Child<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuku Harunobu
1766
Woodblock print (Ink on paper)
Edo (1615-1868)
24.3 x 17 cm
MFA Boston
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
11.13436<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This piece, much like the first, has limited colors (though that may be due to age). This piece is interesting because it shows how demons and monsters were not only common subjects for Japanese art of the time, but also were a part of life. Demons were not only something to be feared, but also a common part of Japanese culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Netsuke of Man with an \u014cni on His Hat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

19th Century
Lacquered Wood
Edo (1615-1868) – Meiji Period (1868-1912)
5.2 cm (height)
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
91.1.1040<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A netsuke is a small statue used for fastening buttons and belts, as well as simply for aesthetics. This netsuke has both a man and demon, the man looking pained or afraid as the demon perches on his hat. This piece once again shows the connection between everyday life, as it is a netsuke used in day-to-day life, and the supernatural, as displayed by the demon carved in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shimabara Courtesans Exorcizing Demons<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Miyagawa Issh\u014d
Hanging Scroll (Ink and Color on Paper)
Edo Period (1615-1868)
34 1\/4 \u00d7 10 1\/2 in (image)
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
2015.300.132<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hanging scroll depicts women throwing beans to ward off evil spirits as part of a ritual during the Setsubun Festival at the beginning of spring. This scroll shows the cultural relevance of the demons through this ritual, as well as illustrating the spirits as corporeal and visible beings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Demons and Monsters.”, https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/853220.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Netsuke of Man with an \u014cni on His Hat.”, https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/59740.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Scenes of the Buddhist Hell.”, https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/826900.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Shimabara Courtesans Exorcizing Demons.”, https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/670926.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith, R. G. Ancient Tales & Folklore of Japan, 1908.
This source had many descriptions of Japanese stories and folklore to do with monsters, and was helpful for gaining a better understanding of the place these creatures had in the culture of Japan. I found it helpful as a jumping-off point for my research and as a good source to get started with. It also had many good illustrations throughout that helped with searching for artworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toriyama, Sekien, et al. Japandemonium Illustrated\u202f: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien. Dover Publications, 2016.
This source shows many images and descriptions of demons and yo-kai in Japanese lore. Though it had many images, I did not find it the most helpful as far as description for what I was looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Woman with a Demon Mask Teasing a Child.”, https:\/\/collections.mfa.org\/objects\/206167\/woman-with-a-demon-mask-teasing-a-child?ctx=fe579101-04fb-4949-9841-59980d979af2&idx=0.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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