Animals and the Pursuit of Knowledge in Japan
Animals have long been a popular subject in Japanese art, and they have served a variety of purposes throughout the centuries. In some instances, depictions of animals were auspicious symbols intended to bring good luck to their owners. Animals were also the subject of scientific studies, particularly in the field of natural history. In early modern Japan, scholars of the natural world often relied on illustrations of flora and fauna rather than on actual specimens, particularly for plants and animals not native to Japan. For example, the image of the rhinoceros seen in this installation was based entirely on texts from abroad, including from the Netherlands and China.
This installation explores the place of animals within Japanese art: as decoration, as symbols, as subjects of study, and as subjects of art. Korean and Dutch works complement Japanese objects to highlight the cultural and scholastic exchanges that occurred before the so-called opening of the ports by Commodore Perry in 1868. The featured works seek to show what animals mean in Japanese art, and how they reflect the interconnections between cultures.
Mai Yamaguchi
PhD candidate, Department of Art & Archaeology
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RhinocerosRhinoceros, 19th century
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Kano School (Kano-ha 狩野派), 15th–19th century -
The RhinocerosThe Rhinoceros, 1515
Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471–1528 -
Perspective Picture of Whale Hunting in Kumano Bay (Uki-e Kumano ura kujira tsuki no zu 浮絵 熊野浦鯨突之図)Perspective Picture of Whale Hunting in Kumano Bay (Uki-e Kumano ura kujira tsuki no zu 浮絵 熊野浦鯨突之図), ca. 1770–75
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Utagawa Toyoharu 歌川豊春, ca. 1735–1814 | Published by Iseya Sanjirō 伊勢屋三次郎 -
“Little Crow,” Sword of the Minamoto (Kogarasumaru no hitokoshi 小鳥丸の一腰 源) (or Crow, Sword, and Plum Blossoms), from the series “Four Great Clans of Japan” (Shisei no uchi 四性ノ内)“Little Crow,” Sword of the Minamoto (Kogarasumaru no hitokoshi 小鳥丸の一腰 源) (or Crow, Sword, and Plum Blossoms), from the series “Four Great Clans of Japan” (Shisei no uchi 四性ノ内), early to mid 19th century
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎, 1760–1849 -
“Little Crow,” Sword of the Minamoto (Kogarasumaru no hitokoshi 小鳥丸の一腰 源) (or Crow, Sword, and Plum Blossoms), from the series “Four Great Clans of Japan” (Shisei no uchi 四性ノ内)“Little Crow,” Sword of the Minamoto (Kogarasumaru no hitokoshi 小鳥丸の一腰 源) (or Crow, Sword, and Plum Blossoms), from the series “Four Great Clans of Japan” (Shisei no uchi 四性ノ内), reprinted 1890s
Meiji period, 1868–1912
Japanese
after Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎, 1760–1849 -
Ishikawamon, KanazawaIshikawamon, Kanazawa, 1977
Masahisa Fukase深瀬昌久, Japanese, 1934–2012 -
Monkey and CrabMonkey and Crab,
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Keisai Eisen 渓斎英泉, 1790–1848 -
Fox Catching a Woman (Kitsune no tsuri onna 狐の釣り女)Fox Catching a Woman (Kitsune no tsuri onna 狐の釣り女),
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Kitagawa Utamarō 喜多川歌麿, 1753–1806 -
New Year’s Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji (Ōji Shōzoku enoki Ōmisoka no kitsunebi 王子装束ゑの木大晦日の狐火), from the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (Meisho Edo hyakkei 名所江戸百景)New Year’s Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji (Ōji Shōzoku enoki Ōmisoka no kitsunebi 王子装束ゑの木大晦日の狐火), from the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (Meisho Edo hyakkei 名所江戸百景), 1857 [Ansei 4], 9th month
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川 広重 (Andō Hiroshige 安藤広重), 1797–1858 -
Horned Owl on Flowering BranchHorned Owl on Flowering Branch,
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Kubo Shunman 窪俊満, 1757–1820 -
Tigers and BambooTigers and Bamboo, 18th century
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Anonymous -
Fishing Village, Flying Crane, and Mount FujiFishing Village, Flying Crane, and Mount Fuji, 1819–1840
Edo period, 1615–1868
Japanese
Tani Bunchō 谷文晁, 1763–1841 | Tosaka Bun'yō 遠坂文雍, 1783 - 1852 | Tani Bunji 谷文二, 1812 - 1850 | Unknown 19th century
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