A compact and affordable bestiary of allegorical animals
Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-89) delighted in the depiction of animals--crows
with strong personalities, frogs in the schoolroom, rats on trapezes,
cats in procession, elephants performing tricks--and frequently used
them to satirize contemporary society.
Having been trained as an academic painter, Kyosai would have been aware
of traditions in which artists depicted creatures according to the laws
of nature--the weak falling prey to the strong--as a commentary on
actual society. He delighted in reversing such power relationships,
frequently doing so to give an unexpected twist to the conventions of
traditional imagery, and he seems particularly to have enjoyed giving
smaller animals a chance to get their own back on their predators.
Animal imagery has long occupied a significant place in Japanese art and
literature. Each animal possesses a different symbolism for its special
abilities or characteristics, and some are associated with deities,
religious narratives, particular events or seasons of the year. Agile
rabbits are sometimes featured in armor. Puppies were depicted not only
for their cute appearance but also because they symbolize fertility and
safe birth, and thus the prosperity of the family. "Humanized" creatures
often appear in illustrated tales and in social satires.
This enchanting book reveals a cavalcade of Kyosai's creatures from the
renowned Israel Goldman Collection, with an introduction to the artist
and his menagerie by Koto Sadamura, a leading authority on Kyosai.
