Author Description

"A sweeping exploration of animals in Japanese art and culture across sixteen centuries. Few countries have devoted as much artistic energy to the depiction of animal life as Japan. Drawing on the country's unique spiritual heritage, rich literary traditions, and currents in popular culture, Japanese artists have long expressed admiration for animals in sculpture, painting, lacquerwork, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, and woodblock prints. Real and fantastic creatures are meticulously and beautifully rendered, often with humor and whimsy. Spanning sixteen centuries of artistic production, the nearly three hundred works of art in this volume present animals in a variety of guises, from messengers of the divine and symbols of power or good fortune, to comical or satirical actors, and manifestations of the beauty of the natural world. Ancient clay funerary objects, deeply religious Buddhist sculptures, delicately rendered ivory netsuke, and riotous drawings parodying the ruling classes at play reveal Japan's diverse attitudes toward creatures real and imaginary, spiritual and secular. The artists included here range from Sesson Shūkei, Itō Jakuchū, Soga Shōhaku, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi, to Okamoto Tarō, Kusama Yayoi, Issey Miyake, Nara Yoshitomo, and Murakami Takashi. Contributions by an international team of Japanese art experts show how the artists employed creatures with fur, feathers, and fins to teach virtuous behavior, mock customs, exemplify bravery, and celebrate life. Essays by leading scholars of Japanese literature, religion, and scientific inquiry delve into the objects' cultural context. With 475 illustrations, including many fine and up-close details, 'The Life of Animals in Japanese Art' is a sumptuous celebration of the connections between the natural world and visual and creative expression.".