Spooky Sells
17th November 2022
A small collection of spooky Japanese scroll paintings has sold for nearly £18,000 at auction in Salisbury – far surpassing its upper estimate of £4,500.
The fifteen scrolls were mostly made in the 19th century but many could easily depict scenes from 1970s horror films or more modern cartoons. They came under the hammer at Woolley and Wallis in Salisbury as part of a series of Asian Art auctions on 15th and 16th November.
One square scroll painted with skeletons is probably a parody of a procession of courtesans (Japanese prostitutes). Some show ghosts or ghouls, while others depict colourful and imaginative monsters or mythical creatures.
“The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons was a popular subject in Japanese art and stems from a folk tale with a history of over a thousand years. It allowed artists to really show their creativity and imagination to create their own versions of what these demons might have looked like,” explained Japanese specialist, Alexandra Aguilar. The subject was depicted on a seven-metre hand scroll which sold for £3,500.
Another macabre lot which drew competitive bidding included two hanging scroll paintings of female ghosts – one with a rather gruesome sickle imbedded in her neck; the other holding a severed head.
“There is a long tradition of the supernatural in Japanese culture, which began to be dramatised in the 18th century and reached its peak in art during the 19th century,” continued Aguilar. “A period of censorship in Japan in 1842 prohibited artists from painting geisha, courtesans or Kabuki actors – that’s when we see artists instead depicting these figures in a parodic form – such as the skeleton painting that sold for £1,625.”
The scrolls sold on Tuesday 15th to a number of different collectors across Europe and the Far East.
“This is a strong field of collecting that appeals not only to aficionados of Japanese Art, but also to people who like the unusual or have a fascination with folklore or the supernatural,” said Aguilar. “Several of the hanging scrolls were creased and the more vibrant colours had faded, but the strength of the subject matter has overridden that and I’m delighted they did so well.”
