Meet cat demons, skeletal ghosts, and the nine-tailed kitsune in this
brilliant and beautifully illustrated volume of ghost imagery in
traditional Japanese theater.
Staging the Supernatural presents striking, eerie nineteenth-century
woodblock prints from Japan that feature ghosts, demons, and other
supernatural entities. The book digs into the country's rich folkloric
traditions and how they were brought to life on stage, with insightful
essays that explore the depiction of spirits through the centuries, the
relationship between printed images and cultural imagination, and how
kabuki and Noh theater performances reflect Japan's deep connection to
and shifting notions of the supernatural.
The detailed art invites readers to admire the artistic quality and
techniques employed to accentuate supernaturalism, including embossing,
mica application, and metallic pigments. The prints offer a window into
Japan's 19th-century pop culture and will appeal to fans of contemporary
anime and manga, which is often influenced by these images. Equal part
art and commentary, the book includes:
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40 gorgeous woodblock prints with extended text entries
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Introduction from Pearl Moskowitz, who gifted many of the featured
prints to the museum in 2021
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Essay from museum curator Kit Brooks that explores special effects in
kabuki theater ghost plays and their representation in souvenir
woodblocks
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Essay from museum curator Frank Feltens on Tsukioka Kōgyo, the first
artist to render the eerie atmosphere of Noh plays in prints
Spooky, fascinating, and fun, this is an ideal book for lovers of
Japanese art, folklore, horror, and history.
