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Deities & Demons: Supernatural In Japanese Art

Oct 20 2022–May 19 2025

Seattle Art Museum

Third Floor Galleries

Jurōjin, the God of Longevity, with Deer, Crane, and Long-tailed Tortoise, Japan, late Muromachi period (1392–1573)–early Edo period (1615–1868), 16th–17th century, Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection, 35.606.

Why are deer, foxes, and mythical creatures in Japanese art considered sacred? What is the long-tailed turtle or the six-armed ferocious demon? Japanese folklore, Shinto (an indigenous religion that reveres nature), and Buddhism have furnished fascinating subjects and ideas for imagery over many centuries. This installation of paintings, sculptures, prints, and textiles from the museum’s collection presents the rich visual culture of the supernatural in Japan.

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