japanese bestiary

Author: Nelly Delay
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 1 November 2024
208 pages

At the heart of this book are twenty-eight real-life animals and the myths and literature, paintings, drawings, textiles, and ceramics they have inspired some of the most celebrated Japanese artists and writers to create. Since the dawn of Japanese folklore and religion, the Japanese soul has cultivated a special connection with nature and wildlife, in part due to the natural abundance of the Japanese archipelago. Every animal, from the frightening crow to the sublime crane, is sacred, occupying a central place in Japanese mythology, literature, arts, and crafts.

In this text-rich art book, readers will find twenty-eight real-life animals, including the fox, frog, cat, monkey, and firefly, described in texts combining haikus, tales, and anecdotes from everyday life and illustrated with objects produced by some of the most celebrated Japanese artists and craftsmen. Readers will see just how central animals—from the most fleeting to the most majestic, from the wildest to the most domesticated—are to Japanese legends and literature but also in the latest manga and animated films.

In some cases, the animals are transformed and endowed with human attributes; in others, through a representative selection of Japanese art—paintings, prints, fashion, and common Japanese objects such as netsuke (miniature sculptures)—they appear lovingly portrayed in their natural element: typical animals of the countryside, mountains, forests, rivers, and sea, and even today’s cities. While most of the animals in this Japanese bestiary are good omens, even ones a tad mischievous, downright evil, or uniquely sacred, such as the sika deer or the crane, all are invested with strong symbolism and have become extremely popular in a country where everything is ephemeral and transient, yet everything remains.

Japanese Bestiary is an ideal book for anyone interested in Japanese drawing and painting, animal illustrations, and wildlife art and literature.