Japanese Print "Laughing Demoness (Warai Hannya)" by Katsushika Hokusai
Artist:Katsushika Hokusai
Title:Laughing Demoness (Warai Hannya)
Date:about 1831–32
Details:More information...
Source:Worcester Art Museum
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Description:
Laughing Demoness is from Hokusai’s acclaimed series One Hundred Ghost Tales, which he designed later at the end of his career. It depicts a Hannya, a violent horned demon believed to appear when a woman was overcome by jealousy or rejection. In order to heighten the macabre overtones of the subject, Hokusai cleverly synthesized the lurid red skin and contorted expression associated with Hannya-character masks from Noh theatre with the filthy hair and clothes associated with another supernatural, infant-eating crone known as yamauba. This print is an exemplar of the Yūrei-zu genre of Japanese prints, characterized by portrayals of the paranormal or haunting interpretations of traditional folklore, which were enthusiastically consumed by urban audiences throughout the 19th century.
