by Jurate Macnoriute
Ancient Japanese adopted great cultural heritage of China and turned to completely unexpected way. If Chinese are peaceful population watching over from outside danger or harm, Japanese are known as warlike nation--in some time they even represented friends of Adolf Hitler. Thus these differences in characters took place in their art too. Chinese attitude free from stress and near to meditation was changed into expressive, theatrical disposition in Japan.
Japanese brought into fashion depiction of theatre artistes in role play, they oddly reprocessed one kind of art into other what gave to their prints especially wide spectrum of nonverbal expression.
Japanese stand pose usually in movement, head turned to one side, torso is not erect straightly upright, arms in various positions often lifted up, face gives expressions of theatrical masks (Fig.51). Body stand position especially in the third example (Fig.51-3) can be associated with balance cue. Turn is so significant that seems some danger of fall.
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Fig. 51. Kunisada's woman figures.
Facial beauty is defined by fashions of artiste masks expressing several psychological states. Jaw droop, bulging eyes (Tadamasa, Blue Face), tense mouth (Kunisada. Magicians. The Banner), zygozmatic smile (Kuniyoshi (Bijin). Yui) are met not rarely.
Posture arm cross is too static for Japanese print heroes. Only by chance arm cross appears, for example, in Kunisada's woman figure (Fig.51-1)
Display arm show is not characteristic for Japanese. Sometimes depicted arm show is met partly dressed (Fig.52). Afferent signal pleasure is shown by calm state and corners of the mouth curving upward. Pleasure is received through working, looking into the distance.
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Fig.52. 1. Yoshinobu. Detail of Takiyasha Hime. 1879; Kuniyoshi . Detail of Yui. 1844.
Something similar to asymmetrical tonic neck reflex frequently seen in prints depicting the kabuki actors playing role. Theatrical fast arm gestures and movements allude to fear, drama, great feelings (Fig.53). Prints of Kunisada The Tengu Mask and The Fire God, Shigeharu The Lightning Bolt. depend to this same category.
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Fig. 53. 1. Hirosada. 1850. Detail of Hitsotsuya and Okogome; 2. Kunisada. Detail of Seagulls. 1855; 3. Shunshi. Detail of Actors in role.
Posture body bend in Japanese prints is found as expression of few states: intimidation, weeping, observation something beneath or working. In Fig.54-1 poet Fujiwara no Toshiyuki Ason plays role of the ghost of Rui no Hitodama. In Fig.54-2 Take-jo, wife of Yamaoka Kakutei, weeping next to her child. In Fig.54-3 Kakuzenbo Hoin In'ei stares into the river at the reflection of his spear being crossed by the moon.
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Fig. 54. 1. Kunisada. Detail of The Spectre. 1852; 2. Kuniyoshi. Detail of Take-jo. 1848; Yoshitoshi. The Moon's Invention. 1891.
In posture bow the child Yuten stands kneeling against some aggressor Fudo (Fig.55). Fudo, flanked by his acolytes, threatens Yuten with a giant sword. Thus posture bow expresses some kind of forcible submission. There fight or flight ready response is somewhere between them -- for fight boy is not able, for flight he seems too adventurous.
Fig. 55. Yoshitoshi. Detail of triptych The Fire God. 1885.
Sometimes gesture hand behind head is met, but sooner it has no sense of uncertainty, conflict, disagreement, frustration, anger, or disliking. Japanese artists liked various theatrical hand gestures, and hand behind head could be composed by itself through chance.
Fig. 56. Shogetsu. Detail of Dandelion and Shinobu. 1888.
Japanese prints' sit posture characterized by various manners: on feet (Fig.56, Fig.57-2), freely on higher basis like Europeans (Fig.57-1), or sit position of primates. Pleasure is received through being on water, plashing water by feet, looking into the distance.
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Fig. 57. 1. Hiroshige II & Kunisada. Detail of Crossing the river in snow. 1860; 2. Kuniteru. Detail of triptych Cooling-Off. 1891.
Fear and disgust shown by spread fingers, one arm widely to side, other close to body, body bend (object of fear and disgust beneath) (Fig.58-1) or both arms spread towards, jaw pressed to upper part of breast (Fig.58-2).
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Fig. 58. 1. Chikanobu. Detail of Crab Temple. 1886; 2. Yoshikuni. Detail of Actors in Role. 1822.
Anger to a cat expressed by inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows (Fig.59).
Fig. 59. Kuniyasu. Detail of Bijin. 1830.
Gesture head tilt side met in prints scenes of mother and child, inclination extremely great (Fig.60).
Fig. 60. Shogetsu. Detail of Red Plum and Tomoe Gozen. 1888.
In Fig.61 actor Onoe Kikugoro as the policeman Matsuda apprehending two villains: the masseur Soan (played by Nakamura Nakazo) and the sweet-seller Kinsuke (played by Ichikawa Sadanji). Policeman points at villains, and that gesture protruding his hand to the middle part of the triptych. Villains deliberate between themselves -- fight or flight. The corners of their mouths curve downwards. Hand postures show that villains prepared for defence.
Fig. 61. Chikashige. The Apprehension. 1880.
In general it is rude to point, but that gesture gives to picture high clearness of understanding and expression. In other example (Fig.62) a mother and child hunt for cicada, and mother's point do picture very memorized.
Fig. 62. Kuniyoshi. Detail of Cicada. 1843.
Self touch tactile sign in Japanese prints met frequently in various forms (Fig.).
Submission status -- body tilt forward, head tilt back, crooked on walking stick (Fig.63-1); body bend, arms together for prayer, knees bend (Fig.63-2).
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Fig. 63. 1. Shunsho, Detail of The Sake Seller, 1782; 2. Fig. Yoshitoshi, Detail of Nichiren, 1885.
Touch cue is frequent enough and characteristic mostly to parents and children relations (Fig.64). In the second example (Fig64-2) also we have clearly expressed eye contact. From on high father communicates with his children. Pleasure is received through touching children.
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Fig. 64. 1. Shuntei. Detail of July. 1898; 2.Yoshitoshi. Detail of The Tearful Farewell. Diptych. 1886.
Body movement decision grip can be expressed by holding some thing of house wares (Fig.65-1, Fig.66-1), breaking branch (Fig.65-2) or like in Fig.65-3 the actor grips a white banner emblazoned with the image of a black horse.
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Fig. 65. 1. Kunisada, Detail of Koguroma. 1860; 2. Kunisada (Bijin). Detail of The Cherry Branch.1860; 3. Kunisada. Detail of The Banner. 1862.
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Fig. 66. 1. Kunichika. Detail of Four in the Afternoon. 1890; 2. Kunisada II. Triptych The Sumo Bout. 1860.
A maid carrying refreshments smiles lightly and more naturally (Fig.66-1) that is brought from China. Good mood and pleasure are received through food. Often in Japanese prints we met smile similar to theatre mask's. In the image Fig.66-2 pleasure received through watch over fighting men.
The third kind of pleasure received through walk in the beautiful night street (Fig.67)
Fig. 67. Chikanobu. Triptych The Gas Lamp. 1895.
An example of power grip is seen in Fig.68 with shown woman pulling rope. In such rude body movement the woman depicted with elegancy and grace.
Fig. 68. Kuniyoshi. Detail of The Cart. 1841.
Variant of reflexive body movement flexion withdrawal can be recognized in Fig.69 image of the warrior who takes cover from a drenching white rain under a bridge. In withdrawal situation hero grips tree, steps extremely widely, and looks back.
Fig. 69. Yoshitoshi. Detail of Tsune-e-mon. 1881.
Japanese sadness is expressed by head inclination forwards and hand lifting to face (Fig.70). Similar attitude is noticed in prints Kikuchi Keigetsu Koharu, the Heroine in Shinju ten no amijima, Kuniyoshi Toda no Tsubone.
Fig. 70. Shogetsu. Detail of Kudzu Vine and O-Fumi. 1888.
In Japanese prints filled by theatrical expression pain cue is met infrequently.
Emotion uncertainty is met in Japanese portraits. In turn of head, character of lips compression, and gaze we can recognize uncertainty, distrust (Fig.71).
Fig.71. Masamitsu, Oda. Detail of O-Tsuta. 1949.
Group relations like in Chinese art have warm poetic atmosphere, but together participators of group are alienated as dreaming, eye contact absent (Fig.72).
Fig. 72. Utamaro. The Cool of a Garden. 1788-1790.
A variant of Japanese body alignment in Fig.73 -- stand face to face. Figures keep this same posture what shows imitation isopraxism.
Fig.73. Yoshitoshi. Suzaku Gate Moon. 1886.
Eye contact often is between two persons one from them being in some higher position in space. It is not difference in what side upper communicator stands. If in examples below (Fig.74) we see upper communicator on the left, in Yoshitoshi, The Tearful Farewell father being on the right speaks with his child beneath on the left (Fig.64-2).
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Fig. 74. 1. Hiroshige. Detail of triptych Rivers of the Tokaido. 1850; 2. Kunisada. Detail of The Shrine Bearer. 1860.
