In this Woodblock portrait, Hokusai has combined the faces of two demons. One demon is named Hannya, and the second is Yamanba. Hannya’s face comes from a mask used in Noh theatre and Japanese plays. The Hannya mask is supposed to portray souls of women who have become demons due to obsessive jealousy. The demon is said to be dangerous, but also tormented, which shows the complexity of human emotions. The second demon, Yamanba, is believed to eat infants brought to the mountains. In this portrait Hokusai combines the two demons, and shows the demon eating a live infant. It creates a very disturbing and socially unacceptable image, prompting Japanese society to confront these ideas.
Hokusai Katsushika was one of the most important artists of
Hokusai Katsushika was one of the most important artists of