MONSTER / DEMON / ONI IMAGERY
Youkai Zukan (Monster Dictionary)
   Size: 7” x 10.5” - Pages: 183 - Published: 2002 - Price: $58 - Binding: Hardcover w/cardboard sleeve |
This book is called YOUKAI ZUKAN which means monster picture dictionary. This book is a collection of prints featuring bakemono - evil spirits, demons, and ghosts from Japanese folklore. The book is divided into 3 sections. The first is a comparison of two scrolls featuring images of the same demons. The images on the left page are from bakemono zukushi - an arrangement of 30 prints of monsters all done on one scroll now owned by Kagaya in Akita. The scroll's creator is believed to be Zushou Toba but this and the date it was created are unconfirmed. The right side features images of the same creatures as the left but presumably are an earlier rendition. This scroll (on the right) was done in 1737 by Takayuki, and is now owned by the Fukuoka Museum. It too features 30 images of bakemono and are renditions based on Hyaku Monogatari, a story game told round the fire during the Edo period (1600-1867) - traditional Japanese ghost stories featuring 100 obakemono (ghosts, demons, goblins or supernatural entities) that later became popular subject matter for some of the ukiyo-e (painters of the floating world) masters like Kuniyoshi and Kyosai. The second section is called bakemono emaki (monster scroll) and it features 22 full color demon images done on a scroll from the 1800's by another unknown artist. The scroll now belongs to the Kawasaki museum. The third section features 1 scroll from 1832 by Shigeru Oda. The scroll includes 58 monochrome images of monsters but these images are smaller and include the stories of the monsters (in Japanese). All in all it is an awesome compilation and a great book to add to any collection of ukiyo-e prints as well as make a great reference book for artists in need of gruesome and fantastically surreal Japanese apparitions. |
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Kyosaii's 100 Ghosts - OOP    Size: 7” x 10” - Pages: 148 - Published: 2002 - Price: $95 - Binding: Hardcover |
This is a copy of Kyosai's 100 Apparitions, an amazing collection of prints from one of the most macabre Ukiyo-e printers. This book is now OUT OF PRINT. Kyosai was a student of Kuniyoshi and these two stand out among the painters from the floating world for their renditions of things strange, weird and frightening. Kyosai was an avid Sake drinker and an amazing storyteller, he enjoyed frightening his audiences and could always touch a nerve with his vivid imagination. He has been said to spare no canvas in his paintings, they are busy and multifaceted, the center object rarely being what captures the eye after the initial reaction of shock wears off. Hiding in the background are oni (japanese mythological demons), ghosts, skeletons and blood hungry ghouls. (plus several things I can't identify). His pieces are brilliant for larger tattoo pieces and has a hundred little images that would make great tattoos as well. This will be one of those books you don't want to leave around the shop but pull out for your favorite customers, pieces you can truly get excited about. The book would also make a great addition to any ukiyo-e collection. Text is Japanese. | |
Hokusai Manga II - Traditional Japanese Sketchbook    Size: 7” x 10” - Pages: 112 - Published: 2001 - Price: $48 - Binding: Softcover |
This book is a great find for Hokusai collectors interested in landscape scenes, men and women performing daily tasks, and animals. It includes some great waves and several amazing oni (demons) and dragons. Quite a few brilliant warrior images. Images are monochrome except for the first 15 pages which are done on glossy paper and are in color but faint sepia tones. This books consists of both full and half page illustrations as well as sketch pages, with 10 drawings on the same subject matter for reference. Includes images of houses, buildings, bridges, temples, mountains, waves, rocks, people - workers, women, gods and samurai, assorted animals, trees....lots of great stuff. All in all a great resource book for anyone working to recreate Japanese traditional style artwork. |
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Bloody Prints in Ukiyo-e    Size: 7” x 8” - Pages: 130 - Published: 2005 - Price: $38 - Binding: Softcover |
This is an amazing collection of bloody prints in Ukiyo-e from the masters - ie Kuniyoshi, Hokusai and Kyosai. A brilliant compilation full of evil spirits and blood lusty ghosts. Tons of illustrations based on creepy Japanese folklore and horror. The book includes full color illustrations in the first part, and outline/monochrome illustrations in the latter part. These prints are a lot more vivid in person and feature a smorgasboard of evil creatures and macabre imagery that would stand alone as brilliant tattoo art or work as inspiration for original designs! A great book to add to any collection of ukiyo-e prints as well as a great reference book for artists in need of gruesome and fantastically surreal Japanese apparations. Book reads right to left and text is in Japanese. | |
Japanese Goblin Survey Book
   Size: 7” x 9" - Pages: 112 - Published: 2007 - Price: $35 - Binding: Softcover |
This little book just can out and includes a host of full color and monochrome Japanese goblins and gremlins taken from traditional Japanese prints. I recognize a lot of Kyosai imagery here and there are a few sketches I have not come across before. Text is in Japanese and there is quite a bit of it but there are enough illustrations to make this one collection worthy. Good tattoo imagery. |
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Japanese Monster Sculptures    Size: 6” x 8.5” - Pages: 84 - Published: 2006 - Price: $38 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great little book I just picked up for myself and thought I'd add. It is a collection of photos of monster sculptures...rather lawn ornament-like but distinctly Japanese in detail. Great little beasties with lots of glass eyeballs and teeth. Lip, eye and body details are reminiscent of the old ukiyo-e demons. Awesome. This book first came out in 1969, this is the 3rd printing. Text in Japanese, book reads left to right, Japanese style. Book is 84 pages which include 77 different monsters. |
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Oni Scrolls (Oeyama)    Size: 9” x 12”- Pages: 204 - Published: 2006 - Price: $255 - Binding: Hardcover w/cardboard sleeve |
This is a beautiful book. It is of the Oeyama Picture Scrolls and it is reproduced here in hardback on thick high quality paper in amazing detail, cased in a cardboard sleeve....this one is for the collectors! Book reads right to left, Japanese style. Text is in Japanese while the scrolls are being documented, but is translated in English in the back, each scroll by section, bringing the story to life, as well as the amazing artwork. I was drawn to this one by the brilliant demons (or Oni, as they are called in Japanese). These scrolls are rife with them - one who even loses a head - blood everywhere. Grim for the time period! Great reference book for artists and for collectors of Japanese imagery. |
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Japanese Monster Scroll Collection    Size: 8.5” x 10.5” - Pages: 305 - Published: 2004 - Price: $55 - Binding: Hardcover |
This book is called INOU MONONOKEROKU EMAKI SHUSHEI (name monster records scroll collection). It is a beautiful book divided into 3 sections. The first shows 3 different scrolls, the second section has 1 scroll and 3 books and the third features 3 books. The images predate the more elaborate demons of Kyosai and Yoshitoshi, they do depict bakemono from the same myths and legend, and there are many similarities between these older scrolls and more recent macabre artwork from the masters. The books are 2 images per page, the scrolls run 3 images per page, they are full color, and feature the original text as well from the book/scroll. All text is in Japanese. The book presents in book/story form, it is not a collection of solely monster images, but shows the entire storyline. It is a great book for collectors of Japanese macabre art and imagery. |
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Kappa |
This book on Japanese Kappa is full of brilliant Kappa images in a several mediums of art. According to Japanese magazine Metropolis Kappa are... An adult kappa stands at 1.5m and resembles a hybrid of a human and a tortoise - not only due to its reptilian visage but also because its anatomy includes a large shell that encases its back. The imp's scaly flesh is yellow-green but like a chameleon, the kappa is blessed with muscle-like cells that enable it to change into a myriad of colors. With webbed fingers and toes, the kappa is adept in the water and is particularly robust due to the life-sustaining elixir that brims in its cranial orifice. If the liquid spills, the sprite weakens proportionally. |
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Kappa still need to eat though, and will consume all manner of beasts including horses, cattle and even humans. With the finesse of a human teenager vacuuming down a milkshake, the kappa sucks out the entrails of its prey, leaving nothing behind save a hollow gourd bobbing in the water. As they like nothing better than a fresh juicy child, it is common to find signs near bodies of water warning of imminent danger. The only food that the kappa finds more delicious than a child is the cucumber - the popular dish kappamaki (sushi rolls filled with cucumber) takes it name from the kappa. During bathing season, wary human parents inscribe the names of their children on cucumbers and toss them into kappa-infested waters. This is supposed to appease the imp and discourage it from pouncing when it encounters the listed children. According to the skeptics who believe the water-sprites are mythological, the first kappa were actually leech-babies - the term applied to still-born infants set afloat in rivers. An alternative theory came with the appearance of Portuguese monks in the 16th century. Clad in hooded cloaks with hoods that hung down their backs like the kappa's tortoise shell, the monk's shaven pate surrounded by a crown of hair also resembled the kappa's hair-rimmed crater of water. Capa, the Portuguese word for the monk's habit, was applied to the sprite and remains in use today. Kappa is also the word for the traditional straw raincoat worn by farmers. Tokyo's Kappabashi (Kappa-bridge) was once farmland surrounded by canals prone to flooding. In the late Edo period a raincoat dealer Kappaya Kihachi devoted his entire personal fortune to building a drainage system. This difficult work took longer than expected and cost a fortune, and he was in despair until a kappa, whose life he had saved years before, suddenly appeared to help. With the kappa's assistance the project was completed in short order. In addition, those who had seen the Kappa were suddenly blessed with good fortune and soon the Kappa Temple was built, and the kappa enshrined as a deity. Over the last fifty years, the Kappa population has suffered a steady decline as the rivers and canals they inhabit disappear. Some claim this is a good thing - kappa are evil sprites with a taste for human flesh and a penchant for mischief. Defenders of the kappa proclaim that, "Even a kappa can get carried away by the river!" And this business about the water-imp being evil could just be much ado about nothing or Kappa no he (a water-imp's fart). |
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Little Antique Demon Scrolls   Size: 4” x 6” - Pages: 255 - Published: 2006 - Price: $25 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great little book I found of Japanese story scrolls, that would make a brilliant addition to anyone collecting or in need of antique japanese imagery. The stories picture occasional demons and monsters and have lots of great architecture, warriors, trees and fancy ladies (who are often kidnapped by the oni - monsters). Great for tattoo design and as an idea springboard this little book is small but has a lot to offer! Text in Japanese. | |
Demons in Japanese Art   Size: 7” x 9.5” - Pages: 110 - Published: 2005 - Price: $45 - Binding: Softcover |
This auction is for a book that came out this month called Hyakki Yako Emaki. It is a full color collection of demons, monsters and Oni pulled from demon scrolls from Masters like Hokusai and Kyosai and compiled by Kouichi Yumoto. This is one of the best collections I have seen - it boasts over 110 full color pages of brilliant monsters in amazing details. Some of the prints are classics, some I havn't seen before. All in all this is a great book for collectors and a must have for anyone interested in classic renditions of Japanese evil spirits and mischief makers. | |
Little Book of Ghosts and Demons   Size: 4” x 6” - Pages: 191 - Published: 2005 - Price: $25 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a little reference book on Japanese ghosts and evil spirits in art and folklore. This book is appx. 6" x 4" and 191 pages but only the first 51 are images (full page and color) the rest is text and the text is in Japanese. This book is better for someone who already has the Demon/monster survey books and is looking for additional, unique imagery. | |
Mizuki Youkai (Monster) Collection   Size: 7” x 10” - Pages: 128 - Published: 2007 - Price: $45 - Binding: Softcover |
This great book is a collection of monster prints by manga master Shigeru Mizuki. Mizuki brought Japanese ghosts stories and folklore to life for several generations of Japanese kids by brilliantly retelling and illustrating these traditional tales. I remember his manga when I was a kid growing up here in the early 80's and these same manga are still widely read now. Very cool stuff. In this collection you can see Mizuki's trademark style and he does brilliant portraits of ghosts, monsters, oni and demons taken directly from Japanese mythology. This is my favorite of his print books right now, the images are clean and clear, his colors are brilliant and the images are a lot less comical that his usual works. Reads right to left, text in Japanese. Prints are full color, full page. | |
Japanese Ghost Story Illustrations   Size: 8” x 9.5” - Pages: 186 - Published: 2005 - Price: $55 - Binding: Hardcover |
This book is from the same people that publish YOUKAI ZUKAN (monster picture dictionary). It is a collection of ghost stories pulled from Japanese folklore and Hyaku Monogatari, a story game told round the fire during the Edo period (1600-1867) - traditional Japanese ghost stories featuring 100 obakemono (ghosts, demons, goblins, monsters, oni & evil spirits) that later became popular subject matter for many ukiyo-e (painters of the floating world) masters like Kuniyoshi and Kyosai. It contains 45 full page, color renditions of woodblock prints featuring bakemono, and while the stories are told in Japanese the illustrations speak for themselves and make this book a must have for any collector of Japanese macabre art. The prints have hard black lines, being woodblocks, and would transfer fairly easily. A lot of the imagery would make brilliant tattoo pieces as they are and would definitely work as a springboard for original artwork. | |
Japanese Goblins by Natsuhiko Kyogoku   Size: 7.5” x 9” - Pages: 87 - Published: 2007 - Price: $48 - Binding: Hardcover |
This is an incredible book of monster illustrations by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. His renditions of monsters and demons are derived from Japanese folklore/mythology but he adds such a great crisp edge to them that this is one of my favorite finds this year. Amazing, amazing use of color and I like that his plates are monster exclusively. Great tattoo ideas! All text in Japanese. | |
Little Traditional Japanese Monster Sketches   Size: 4” x 6” - Pages: 348 - 42 sketches - Published: 2006 - Price: $18 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a pretty cool little book I just found. A LOT more text than prints - this is not an art book but a book about monsters - it relates the story of each monster pictured. It does, however, include 42 brilliant little b&w sketches, one at each chapter head, that would be brilliant outline for tattoo work. This book is one for the collectors and artists that have moved past the survey books and are looking for new material.This book is small but the pictures are quite detailed and macabre! | |
Japanese Ghosts & Monsters Art Book   Size: 7” x 8.5” - Pages: 110 - Published: 2007 - Price: $38 - Binding: Softcover |
This little book boasts 110 pages of color and monochrome demon imagery. It is a great introductory book on Japanese ghost imagery pulled from the more macabre tales of Japanese mythology. Great demon illustrations, perfect for tattoo ideas. A good book for tattoo artist and collectors of traditional Japanese imagery. All text is in Japanese but there are numerous pictures throughout. | |
Namakubi (Severed Heads) by Horiyoshi III |
This is Japanese tattoo master Horiyoshi III's 3rd collection of drawings called The Namakubi. It is presented like the 100 Demons and 108 Heroes, hardback, in a cardboard sleeve, but this collection is folded beautifully in dark brown cloth. Nama (fresh) Kubi (neck) is a collection of 30 sketches of severed heads. The sketches are not bound, the are loose prints wrapped in paper in 3 sets of 10, which rest within the cloth binding/cover. Prints are perfect for framing. Hard to describe so I photographed the presentation. The book is huge, B4 size (appx. 10" x 14.5") and the prints are the same size. All 30 are produced on thick, high quality paper, they are black and white sketches (with red blood and hanko - his signature chop). The sketches are fantastic, very gruesome ....made more so by the intricate and ornate backgrounds. Truly stunning. Text in Japanese. | |
Strange Japanese Creatures   Size: 6” x 8.5” - Pages: 155 - Published: 2004 - Price: $58 - Binding: Hardcover |
I LOVE THIS BOOK. It is called KAIKI CHOJYU ZUKAN (strange bird/animal picture collection) and features 100 full color images, 1 per page, of mythological creatures including birds with dragon heads, tigers that are part goat, a beast with part snake - part human features, really creepy stuff. The last 50 pages are monochrome thumbnails of more creatures. The book is appx. 6"x8.5" and 155 pages reading right to left. Text is in Japanese.This book is a good one for anyone interested in antique Japanese imagery and anyone intersted in images to use as a springboard for original artwork and designs. | |
Nippon Youkai Chizu (Japan Monster Map)   Size: 9” x 12” - Pages: 160 - Published: 1996 - Price: $65 - Binding: Softcover |
This book is called NIPPON YOUKAI CHIZU (Japan Monster Map) and it traces the stories of monsters in art and folklore to their geographical locations. There is a map of Japan and a key to where the monsters and demons included in the book are reputed to hail from. MORE IMPORTANTLY, it is an AMAZING compilation of all the BAKEMONO and YOUKAI (ghosts and monsters) found in traditional ukiyo-e artwork. It includes great illustrations from Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi and Kyosai as well as a few I haven't heard of before but am researching now. This is the best compilation I have seen of yet. Text is in Japanese. This book includes 160 full color, glossy pages full of a large assortment of odd, impish and creepy monsters perfect for tattoo design. This is a great book to keep around the shop for reference. | |
100 Demons by Horiyoshi III    Size: B4 (almost 10” x 14”) - Pages: 146 - Published: 1998 - Price: $170 - Binding Hardcover with a cardboard sleeve |
This is horimono master Horiyoshi III’s 1st book and it is my favorite...but I love the oni. The book boasts 146 pages including 100 B&W images of different demons of Japanese folklore. Horiyoshi III includes the names, details and stories for many of the figures in both English and Japanese. There is a wonderful afterword by Horiyoshi III himself that goes into his thoughts and feelings about tattoos and tattooing. This is a truly amazing resource for anyone interested in traditional Japanese art and mythology. | |
36 Ghosts by Horiyoshi III    Size: almost 10” x 14” - Pages: 82 (folded over - like centerfolds) - Published: 2007 - Price: $170 - Binding: Hardcover with a cardboard sleeve |
This is horimono master Horiyoshi III’s 4th book it is intense. The same size as his 100 demons but the prints are twice the size, each page folded over. Black and grey imagery with text/explanations in both Japanese in English. It is hardcover, very large... B4 size (appx. 9.84" x 13.90") and 82 pages, doubled over all featuring some amazing phantoms and ghouls. A must have for any collector of the dark and twisted. | |
108 Heroes by Horiyoshi III   Size: B4 (almost 10” x 14”) - Pages: 216 - Published: 2004 - Price: $240 - Binding: Hardcover with a cardboard sleeve |
This is horimono master Horiyoshi III’s 2rd book and it is absolutely stunning. The book boasts 216 pages with 108 b&w images of different Suikoden heroes and Horiyoshi includes the names, details and stories for many of the figures in both English and Japanese. The drawings are examples of images he uses for full body tattoos and the ttention to detail is incredible. Includes an afterward by Horiyoshi III himself. A must have for those interesting in traditional Japanese tattoos. | |
Japanese Images of Hell   Size: 7” x 8.5” - Pages: 127 - Published: 1999 - Price: $35 - Binding: Softcover |
This little book boasts 127 pages of color and monochrome images depicting Hell and it's demons doing naughty things. It is a collection of scrolls created with the evident intention of keeping the masses on the straight and narrow! Grim Oni and demons torture and maim hapless sinners.....great demon illustrations, perfect for tattoo work. A great book for tattoo artist and collectors of traditional Japanese imagery. Text is in Japanese but the pictures speak for themselves. | |
Japanese Hell Illustrations    Size: 8.5” x 11” - Pages: 126 - Published: 2001 - Price: $58 - Binding: Hardcover |
This is a book devoted to Hell and all it's demons and monsters. It includes over 60 full color pages of oni causing mayhem as well as numerous monochrome images throughout the text. Text is in Japanese. Great reference book for artists, gruesome but detailed tattoo material, great for collectors of religious or grim Japanese imagery. | |
Drawing Japanese Dragons Reference Book   Size: 8.5” x 11.5” - Pages: 90 - Published: 2003 - Price: $60 - Binding: Softcover |
This is a great reference | |
