Namazu-e  鯰絵

Namazu-e 鯰絵

Vinz Schwarzbauer, 2019

Drawing
29 x 42 x 0 cm
Ink on Paper

€ 590

incl. shipping within the EU

About Namazu-e 鯰絵

Namazu-e (鯰絵) are Japanese woodblock prints that appeared after the devastating Ansei Earthquake of 1855. They typically depict a giant catfish called Ōnamazu, believed to trigger earthquakes. These images, initiated in part by the writer Kanagaki Robun and the painter Kawanabe Kyōsai, combined humor with social commentary and circulated anonymously to avoid government scrutiny.

Many prints show an angry populace attacking the catfish, while others feature it in various guises—an apothecary, a husband, or even a Kabuki actor. Some images highlight the emerging worship of the catfish at Kashima Shrine. Short texts often accompany these scenes, reflecting mixed attitudes: some blame the catfish for their losses, while others note how rebuilding after an earthquake redistributes wealth.

Art historically, namazu-e connect to earlier Ōtsu-e designs, particularly the hyōtan namazu motif, where a figure subdues a giant catfish with a gourd. This imagery references Chinese depictions of deities riding fish or dragons to prevent tremors. Overall, namazu-e exemplify how folklore and wit helped people in earthquake-prone Japan process loss and renewal.

Sold and shipped by Vinz Schwarzbauer.

About Vinz Schwarzbauer

Vinz Schwarzbauer (*1987 in Graz, Austria) graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2014. In 2011/12, he spent a year in Hamburg on the Art School Alliance Scholarship at the University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HFBK). He was a co-founder of the magazine for narrative drawing "Franz the Lonely Austrionaut" and has illustrated for renowned media and theaters such as Falter, Jacobin Magazine, Der Standard, Burgtheater Wien, and Residenztheater München. His comic debut Mäander was published by Edition Moderne in 2023. Vinz Schwarzbauer lives and works as a comic artist and illustrator in Vienna, Austria.


More artworks by Vinz Schwarzbauer from this series

Happyaku Bikuni 八百比丘尼
Happyaku Bikuni 八百比丘尼
Vinz Schwarzbauer, 2019
€ 590
Tanuki 狸
Tanuki 狸
Vinz Schwarzbauer, 2020
€ 590
Oni 鬼
Oni 鬼
Vinz Schwarzbauer, 2018
€ 332
Kitsune 狐
Kitsune 狐
Vinz Schwarzbauer, 2020
€ 590
Ningyo 人魚
Ningyo 人魚
Vinz Schwarzbauer, 2019
€ 590
Shirime  尻目
Shirime 尻目
Vinz Schwarzbauer, 2020
€ 590

Other artist's artworks

Traces and Patterns 2
Traces and Patterns 2
Natalia Weiss, 2018
€ 463
Sleeping Dogs oversized
Sleeping Dogs oversized
Arlette Ess
€ 265
Suicidal devil's squad
Suicidal devil's squad
Ptit Marc, 2020
€ 750
Traces and Patterns 5
Traces and Patterns 5
Natalia Weiss, 2018
€ 463
Blue Wave Wing
Blue Wave Wing
Michael Wegerer, 2018
€ 690
Stillleben mit Stacheln
Stillleben mit Stacheln
Mo Häusler, 2021
€ 520
4,5 Grad (Variation 1)
4,5 Grad (Variation 1)
Michael Wegerer, 2024
€ 457
Inseln Im Wasser 4
Inseln Im Wasser 4
Hoa Luo
€ 240
Water Flower 18
Water Flower 18
Saverio Tonoli, 2024
€ 750
Initiation
Initiation
Pawel Mendrek, 2018
€ 890
Geometric Redux Study after Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks
Geometric Redux Study after Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks
Andre Brik, 2020
€ 310
Da Capo
Da Capo
Mo Häusler, 2006
€ 413