Japanese Prints

The lion dance is instrumental in scaring demons away and placating the gods. The common Japanese belief is that earthquakes, tsunami, poor harvests, famine and epidemics are caused by an angry god. If you fear, respect and celebrate your god, you might be protected. In the lion dance, angry god has a bright red face, shining golden eyes. God is breathing fire through the nose, opening his large mouth and gnashing his teeth. The brave lion made evil spirits go away.

Sugimura Jihei effectively used disposition of the blacks in conjunction with a rich linear decoration and tan coloring in his Lion Dance, while Suzuki Harunobu preferred nishiki-e style for his version of Lion Dance.

Top Picture: Lion Dance by Sugimura Jihei

Bottom Picture: Lion Dance by Suzuki Harunobu

Lion dance takes its origin from China about a thousand years ago. The lion is featured in Buddhist folklore as a guardian creature. Different versions and styles of the lion dance exist in mainland Japan, Okinawa, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore.

The story of Nian is the most common source of Chinese Lion Dance. Legend says that a monster was attacking a small village; eating the cattle, rice and villagers. One day, a Buddhist monk advised the villagers to build a their own ‘monster’. The next year, when Nian came back (it coms once a year), the villagers demonstrated their ‘monster’, making noise, banging drums, throwing firecrackers. Scared Nian fled the village. Since this day, the Chinese celebrate their victory of Nian and scare away bad demons. away.

Harunobu’s prints have a solid, single-color background, created by a technique called tsubushi-zuri. The colored background sets a mood and tone for the entire image. Harunobu’s figures are all very thin and light; almost childlike. These young girls epitomize Harunobu’s personal style.

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The haze in the air, early morning mist, is a frequent motif in Harunobu works.

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“Were we to live on for ever - were the dews of Adashino never to vanish, the smoke on Toribeyama never to fade away then indeed would men not feel the pity of things.

Truly the beauty of life is its uncertainty. Of all living things, none lives so long as man. Consider how the ephemera awaits the fall of evening, and the summer cicada knows neither spring nor autumn. Even a year of life lived peacefully seems long and happy beyond compare; but for such as never weary of this world and are loth to die, a thousand years would pass away like the dream of a single night.

What shall it avail a man to drag out till he becomes decrepit and unsightly a life which some day needs must end. Long life brings many shames. At most before his fortieth year is full it is seemly for a man to die.

After that age it is pitiful to see how, unashamed of his looks, he loves to thrust himself into the society of others, and cherishing his offspring in the evening of his days, craves to live on and on that he may watch them grow and prosper. So he continues, his heart set on naught but willingness, and hardening to the pity of things.” Yoshida Kenko, Essays in Idleness, #7

A woman freshening herself up on the veranda after taking bath.

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