Collection Online

Hannya the demon
(Hannya 般若)
1865

Medium
pigments on silk
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1887
Gallery location
Not on display

Artwork Details

Medium
pigments on silk
Measurements
180.4 × 144.8 cm (overall)
Place/s of Execution
Japan
Inscription
inscribed in brush and ink (in Japanese characters) l.l.: Hōgan Sengen rokujuisai hitsu
Accession Number
1901-D1A
Department
Asian Art
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1887
Gallery location
Not on display
Physical description
Hannya is the vision of a woman turned into a vengeful ghost and tormented with jealousy. In Japanese folklore women with horns have appeared for hundreds of years, and to this day a traditional Japanese bride covers her head with a tall cloth – to hide her horns of jealousy. In this painting, Hannya’s bulging eyes, red elongated mouth, stringy hair and skeletal features all suggest she is no longer of this world, but a demon. A headscarf partly hides her horns as she comically enchants small reptiles to her dance of jealousy, who also disguise their emerging horns with scarves.