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Home>Exhibitions>Past>2019>The Life of Animals in Japanese Art

# The Life of Animals in Japanese Art

June 2 – August 18, 2019East Building, Concourse Galleries

Unknown Artist, *Deer Bearing Symbols of the Kasuga Deities*, Nanbokuchō era, 14th century, bronze, Hosomi Museum

**This exhibition is no longer on view at the National Gallery.**

 Artworks representing animals—real or imaginary, religious or secular—span the full breadth and splendor of Japanese artistic production. As the first exhibition devoted to the subject, *The Life of Animals in Japanese Art* covers 17 centuries (from the fifth century to the present day) and a wide variety of media—sculpture, painting, lacquerwork, ceramics, metalwork, textile, and the woodblock print. A selection of some 300 works, drawn from Japanese and American public and private collections, includes seven that are designated as Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government. The artists represented range from Sesson Shūkei, Itō Jakuchū, Soga Shōhaku, Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, to Okamoto Tarō, Kusama Yayoi, Issey Miyake, Nara Yoshitomo, and Murakami Takashi.

Covering 18,000 square feet in the East Building Concourse, the exhibition is organized into thematic sections that explore the various roles animals have played in the art of Japan. A fully illustrated catalog is published in association with Princeton University Press.

The exhibition is curated by Robert T. Singer, curator and department head, Japanese art, LACMA, and Masatomo Kawai, director, Chiba City Museum of Art, in consultation with a team of esteemed of Japanese art historians.

**Extended Hours:** From August 3 through the exhibition’s final day on August 18, *The Life of Animals in Japanese Art* will stay open late until 8 p.m. During the extended hours, visitors can learn more during pop-up talks at 6 and 7 p.m. by Gallery educators, explore the exhibition with two engaging audio tours, and browse the Gallery's East Shop, which features a full suite of merchandise inspired by the exhibition.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown artist, *Haniwa Horse*, Kofun period, 6th century, earthenware, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the David Bohnett Foundation, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Camilla Chandler Frost, Victoria Jackson and William Guthy, and Laurie and Bill Benenson

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown Artist, *Seated Horse‐Headed Kannon*, Heian period, 11th century, wood, Yamakado Jichikai

Kannon is the Buddhist deity of compassion and mercy. Here, the sculpted horse on his head signifies that he is also a protector of animals and those reborn in the animal realm. With three eyes, three heads, and six arms, this Kannon is all-seeing, all-knowing, and ready to rush to the aid of any creature needing his protection. His fierce expression signifies his ability to conquer all evils. Made a thousand years ago, it is the oldest-known wooden sculpture of this deity in Japan.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown artist, *Monkeys, from the handscroll Frolicking Animals*, Heian–Kamakura periods, 12th–13th century, section mounted as a hanging scroll, ink on paper, Collection of Robin B. Martin
 
Here monkeys sporting the tall hats favored by the nobility take part in a race; one monkey has apparently fallen off the runaway deer and is consoled by a rabbit and another monkey. This scene was detached at an unknown date from a set of handscrolls featuring caricatures of animals endowed with human traits. The scrolls’ purpose is a mystery, as no texts accompany the images. They may be the first use of animals to satirize contemporary society, or even the ancestor of modern Japanese manga comics. The handscrolls are preserved at Kozanji, a Buddhist temple near Kyoto, and designated a National Treasure by the Japanese government.
 

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown Artist, *Deer Bearing Symbols of the Kasuga Deities*, Nanbokuchō era, 14th century, bronze, wood with pigments, Hosomi Museum, Kyoto

This sculpture commemorates the arrival of a kami on a cloud-borne deer at Kasuga Taisha, a Shinto shrine near Nara dating to the eighth century. Rising from the deer’s back is a sakaki tree, an evergreen sacred to Shinto. Engraved on the disc or mirror in its boughs are images of the five Buddhist deities worshipped at Kasuga Taisha’s five shrines, evidence of the fusion of Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. The artist rendered the deer and sakaki tree in realistic detail, even including insect-chewed leaves.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Kanō School, *Goshawk Mews*, Edo period, c. 1675, six‐panel screen, ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas J. Cooper, 1978

Falconry (hunting with birds of prey) was a sport favored by shoguns and high-ranking samurai. This unusual screen presents hawks “off duty” in the well-appointed mews where they were housed during their molting season, identified as summer by the flowering wisteria. With birds of various ages silhouetted against a golden ground and chicks in an artificial nest, this peaceful, almost domestic scene represents powerful goshawks less as predators than as evocations of the stability of the Tokugawa regime.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown Artist, *Dancing Fox*, Edo period, 18th century, ivory with staining, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection

Standing on its toes and coyly bending its paws, the shape-shifting fox portrayed in this netsuke is in the middle of a wily transformation. In folklore, foxes are tricksters who turn into attractive women to seduce unwitting men.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown Artist, *Shaka Passing into Nirvana*, Edo period, 1727, hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, Seiraiji, Aichi Prefecture

Shaka is the Japanese name for the historical Buddha, who lived and died in India in the sixth century BC. On learning of his death, all living beings gathered at his side to mourn his passing into the blessed state known as Nirvana. Here, Shaka lies on his funeral bier, already transformed into a deity of superhuman size. His mother, Maya, flies in on a cloud at upper right, while deities, disciples, and both real and imaginary animals express various stages of grief. The central image of mourning is flanked by scenes illustrating important events in the Buddha’s life. Large hanging scrolls such as this are used for the annual Buddhist rite in memory of Shaka’s passing.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Itō Jakuchū, *Pair of Cranes and Morning Sun*, Edo period, c. 1755–1756, hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, Tekisuiken Memorial Foundation of Culture, Chiba Prefecture

The complex poses of these two cranes, one encircling the other, are typical of Jakuchū’s unconventional approach to traditional subjects. His subtle layering of pigments captures textures ranging from stiff pine needles to soft plumage. Cranes—thought to live for a thousand years—and evergreens both symbolize longevity. Probably painted for use in New Year’s Day celebrations, the scroll depicts the cranes at dawn, greeting the first sunrise of the year.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown Artist, *Uchikake with Phoenix and Birds*, Meiji period, 19th century, silk crepe, paste‐resist dyed, Kyoto National Museum

Made for the daughter of a wealthy merchant, this wedding garment features a large phoenix, mythical king of the birds, spreading its wings over peacocks, doves, pheasants, parrots, and chickens. In Japan, the number one hundred is normally used generally to signify abundance, but here it is literally true.

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Takamura Kōun, *Aged Monkey*, Meiji period, 1893, wood, Tokyo National Museum
   
The Buddhist sculptor Kōun turned to secular subjects during the Meiji period, when Buddhism was suppressed in favor of the native Shinto religion. He borrowed an actual monkey used as an attraction at a teashop to study while creating this dramatic, dynamic sculpture. It won a gold medal when exhibited at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and it has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government.
 

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Kusama Yayoi, *Shō‐chan*, Heisei period, 2013, fiberglass‐reinforced plastic, paint, Private collection
 

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Utagawa Yoshitora, *Picture of the Twelve Animals to Protect the Safety of the Home*, Edo period, 1858, woodblock print, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Ogata Gekkō, *Monkey Reaching for the Moon*, Meiji period, c. 1890 – 1910, woodblock print, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Robert O. Muller Collection, S2003.8.1669

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Kōen, *Monju Bosatsu Seated on a Lion with Standing Attendants*, Kamakura period, 1273, set of five statues; wood with pigments, metal leaves, crystal eyes, Tokyo National Museum; Important Cultural Property

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Miyagawa Kōzan I, *Footed Bowl with Applied Crabs*, Meiji period, 1881, stoneware with brown glaze, Tokyo National Museum; Important Cultural Property

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Issey Miyake, *Swallow Pleats*, Heisei period, 1999, polyester, Miyake Design Studio

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown artist, *Sacred Foxes*, Kamakura period – Nanbokuchō era, 14th century, wood with pigments, Kiyama Jinja, Okayama Prefecture

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown artist, *Kyōgen Monkey Mask*, Edo period, 17th – 18th century, wood, gesso, pigments, Tokyo National Museum

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown artist, *Charger with Carp Ascending Waterfall*, Edo period, 19th century, Arita ware, porcelain with celadon glaze and underglaze blue, Segawa Takeo

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown artist, *Yogi with Crane and Turtle*, Edo period, 19th century, silk crepe, paste-resist dyed, Matsuzakaya Collection

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Kaigyokusai Masatsugu, *Wild Boar*, Edo – Meiji periods, mid-to-late 19th century, netsuke; ivory with ink, inlays, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Nawa Kohei, *PixCell-Bambi #14*, Heisei period, 2015, mixed media, Collection of Ms. Stefany Wang

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
Unknown artist, *Helmet Shaped like a Turbo Shell and Half Mask*, Edo period, 17th century, iron, gold, silver, wood, paper, lacquer, silk, hemp, horse hair, Tokyo National Museum

**Organization:** The exhibition is coorganized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, The Japan Foundation, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, with special cooperation from the Tokyo National Museum

**Sponsors:** The exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation also kindly provided a leadership gift for this exhibition.

Additional funding is provided by The Exhibition Circle of the National Gallery of Art and the Annenberg Fund for the International Exchange of Art.

Additional support is provided by All Nippon Airways (ANA).

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities

The exhibition is part of *Japan 2019*, an initiative to promote Japanese culture in the United States.

**Passes:** Admission is always free and passes are not required

**Attendance:** 86,674

**Catalog:**The Life of Animals in Japanese Art. Edited by Robert T. Singer and Kawai Masatomo. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art; Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2019.

**Other venues:** Los Angeles County Museum of Art, September 22–December 8, 2019

Press Materials

Exhibition Catalog

Essay:Animals in Japanese Folklore

Audio Tours:

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art Tour

Heroes, Samurai, and Pranksters: Stories and Folklore in Japanese Art

Good Luck and Long Life! Japanese Animals and Their Meanings

Film Series**Animals in Japanese Cinema**June 13–July 28East Building Auditorium

Community Events**Community Weekend**June 22, 23East Building

Gallery Talks **The Life of Animals in Japanese Art**June – August: Various Dates & TimesEast Building Atrium

**Japanese Language Tour**June – July: Various Dates & TimesEast Building Atrium

**Roosters, Rabbits, and Monkeys: Animals of the Zodiac**June & August: Various Dates & TimesEast Building Atrium

**Dragons, Tigers, and Phoenix: Auspicious Animals**June – July: Various Dates & TimesEast Building Atrium

**Butterflies, Fish, and Puppies: Animals and the Four Seasons**July – August: Various Dates & TimesEast Building Atrium

Lectures**Introduction to the Exhibition—The Life of Animals in Japanese Art**June 2 at 2:00East Building Auditorium

**The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture**June 7 at 10:30East Building Auditorium

                  - The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture, Part 6—Art, Science, and the Representation of Nature
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    July 9, 2019, (42:32 minutes)                                
                  - The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture, Part 1—The War of the Twelve Animals: Anthropomorphosis and Allegory in Medieval Japan
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    July 9, 2019, (32:32 minutes)                                
                  - The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture, Part 2—A Compassionate Heart for Pitiful Beasts: Animals in Japanese Religions
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    July 9, 2019, (34:08 minutes)                                
                  - The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture, Part 4—East Meets West: The Introduction of Exotic Animals to Japan
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    July 9, 2019, (38:00 minutes)                                
                  - The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture, Part 3—Bookish Beasts: Reading Animals in Japanese Illustrated Fiction
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    July 9, 2019, (32:40 minutes)                                
                  - The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture, Part 5—Let the Animals Speak: The Language of Animals in Japan
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    July 9, 2019, (35:33 minutes)                                
                  - The Roles and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture, Part 7—Animals in Contemporary Japanese Art and Fashion
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    July 9, 2019, (29:55 minutes)                                
                  - Introduction to the Exhibition—The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
                  -                                     Video, Released:                                    June 25, 2019, (52:53 minutes)                                
                  - Introduction to the Exhibition—The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    June 25, 2019, (53:15 minutes)                                
                  - Press Event: The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
                  -                                     Video, Released:                                    June 5, 2019, (48:09 minutes)                                
                  - Press Event: The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
                  -                                     Audio, Released:                                    June 5, 2019, (48:09 minutes)                                
                  - The Life of Animals in Japanese Art Promo
                  -                                     Video, Released:                                    June 2, 2019, (00:15 minutes)                                

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