For a time, Christianity was officially outlawed, but many still worshipped. However, this all changed with the Shimabara Rebellion. In 1637, Christian samurai and peasants rose up against Shigemasa Matsukura, the daimyo of Shimabara. He had forced them to build him a new castle over seven years. He subjected them to extreme taxes, persecution, and torture. The rebels held the new castle for four months against government troops.
But, they lost……..
All the rebels were executed.
17,000 men.
20,000 women and children.
The Shimabara Rebellion forced the remainder of Japan’s Christians to go underground.
There are three different styles of Japanese Christian artwork.
1) Pre-Shimabara
2) Post-Shimabara
3) Post-Bakumatsu
There are no major stylistic differences between pre- and post-Shimabara artwork. Both contained Christian iconography. The difference is that Pre-Shimabara artwork synthesized Japanese and Christian artwork. Post-Shimabara artwork was designed to replicate Japanese art in order to trick others from thinking that it was Christian.
Pre-Shimabara Pottery
Post-Shimabara Maria Kannons
These figurines of the Virgin Mary were constructed to impersonate statues of the Buddha Kannon
Post Bakumatsu
After Christianity was allowed to be practiced in Japan, the Kakure Kirishitans were able to come out publicly as Christians. Their art seems to try and preserve their Japanese heritage while using iconography that is recognizable to Westerners.
Now, these are only a few of the images and topics that I will brush upon in my presentation, but these represent a general overview of my subject.
Maybe I am just not seeing it, but I do not understand how your current outline shows a lot on visual culture.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot on history and art, and maybe that is where you are going... but I was thinking that you might have some ideas on how the "Hidden Christian's" art and life have some how changed or influenced the visual culture of Japan.
Maybe that is asking too much, and maybe since everyone has a more modern (time wise) topic it would be harder for you. But if you could do that I feel like this paper would be less on history and more on visual culture.
Well, those are my two cents.
I agree with the above comment. If you aim to find a visual culture theme you may even want to find some data documenting numbers of Christians in Japan once the religion became accepted. You could possibly contrast these numbers to the changing images of Christian related items, how do things like the cross change visually, are they more detailed? more gaudy? These may be a few of the questions you ask. I agree, I think your attempt to look further back in history is a very unique approach.
ReplyDelete-Michael Thomas
Hey, Nate! I was wondering if you were going to show more pictures for your paper? I mean, I really did like your presentation, and I was curious about your perspective on how the camouflaged pictures of the virgin Mary. Will you be explaining more camouflaged.
ReplyDeleteHey Nate-
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to drop by because I think you have a very interesting project outline here. I was raised a Roman Catholic myself (although granted, I am not a practitioner), and I never had any idea what was going on with this sect in the East.
I understand why one would be concerned that this is a bit unrelated to visual culture, however I believe that it is. The images you showed in class were fascinating. I think you definitely need to dig up some more because you only had a handful, but if you do, this is more than relevant.