SUPERNATURAL: Cat Demons, Yokai and Shapeshifters
19th century Japanese prints of the supernatural include delightful scenes of cat witches, earth spiders, giant serpents, magicians, ghostly apparitions, shape-shifting women and flesh-eating hags. These tales of mysterious phenomena were given artistic treatment by many of the great Edo Period Japanese print artists. Spectral scenes were essential ingredients of kabuki plays, and ukiyo-e of the time reflect the excitement and drama of this mainstay of 19th c. popular culture. Kuniyoshi’s designs of demonic cat ghosts are especially remarkable, as he was a master of feline imagery. Yoshitoshi’s supernatural images are also renowned, especially for the power of their storytelling. Artists drew from the long tradition of supernatural stories in Japan, which dates back hundreds of years, even into the folklore of prehistory. These scenes of the supernatural are captivating yet another generation, becoming a collecting category of their own as exhibitions and books increasingly popularize the timeless imagery.
