1. Animal Representations in Japanese Edo Artwork
Nature of the Beast
Animal Representations in Japanese Edo Artwork

2. What was Edo in Japan?
A time of peace after 200 years of civil war– lasted 1603 – 1868
Edo was the name for modern-day Tokyo
3 classes of people: wealthy samurai, middle class merchants, and poor farmers
Artists competed to sell work to merchants and samurai = good time for artists in Japan

3. Art Techniques
Woodblock print: artwork made by carving a wood block and pressing it to paper or other materials.
Brush painting: using hand-ground ink and bamboo brushes to paint
                                                                     

4. Birds Unknown Artist Geese 16th Century
Two-panel screen, paper, ink, and silk
Okyo
Peacocks and Peonies
1776
Hanging scroll, color on silk

5. Cranes Unknown Artist Three Cranes and Bamboo 17th Century
Two-panel screen, ink, color, gold leafing

6. Birds Hiroshige Magpie and Cherry Blossom Sumi ink on paper 
From the series “One Hundred Views of Edo”
19th Century
Full-color woodblock print on paper 

7. Birds of Prey Katsukawa Eagle [Hawk] on Pine Branch 19th Century
Full-color woodblock print, ink on paper  
Hokusai
Eagle in a Snowstorm
1848
Scroll painting, ink and color on paper

8. Fish
Hiroshige
Madai Fish
Yoshitoshi
Koi (carp)

9. Turtles
Chinnen
Uchiwa-e (fan print) of Turtle
1829

10. Mythological Creatures
Hokusai
Detail of a Kappa from the Manga, Vol. 3
1815
Leaf from a bound book, woodblock print, ink on paper

11. Dragons Koryusai woodblock print, ink on paper  Ganku
Dragon in the Clouds 
Scroll painting, ink and color on silk