Charming, energetic, beguiling – animals have appeared in art since ancient times, but each period and each culture highlights different aspects of the animal world. This work with more than 100 color illustrations offers a zoological festival, filled with animals the Japanese have long held in awe and fascination. In addition to familiar categories such as insects, fish, and birds, the book includes sections on “Sacred, Imaginary and Auspicious Animals” and “Animal Assemblages”. Essays by curators of the Kyoto National Museum and Kyoto City Zoo describe humans’ relationships with animals as depicted in proverbs, folk culture, literature and visual art. This catalog accompanied a landmark exhibition at Kyoto National Museum attended by more 35,000 visitors in summer 2011.
