Curator Tour Staging the Supernatural-Japanese Prints

Curator Tour
Staging the Supernatural:Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints

Members of the Washington Print Club and their guests are welcome to join us for a tour of Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and Theater in Japanese Prints with exhibition curator Kit Brooks and co-curator Frank Feltens, Friday, March 29, 10:45 at the National Museum of Asian Art (formerly the Freer/Sackler).

Throughout Japanese cultural history, the boundary between the real world and the world of supernatural beings has been remarkably porous. Certain sites, states of mind, or periods in the lunar cycle made humans particularly vulnerable to ghostly intervention. The Edo period (1603–1868) was a crucial stage in the development and solidification of ideas about the supernatural. Many of the beliefs that gained currency at this time are still held as conventional wisdom in Japan today.

Supernatural entities came to life especially during noh and kabuki theater performances with ghosts and spirits playing roles in the retelling of Japanese legends and real events. Staging the Supernatural brings together a collection of vibrant, colorful woodblock prints and illustrated books depicting the specters that haunt these two theatrical traditions.

Registration is limited to 15 people. WPC members may register themself and a guest.