Ghosts of the Yurei, Greeting Card Box Set (8 cards) |
Now You See Her?
It’s the middle of the night. You wake up, unable to move. It feels as if clammy hands are pinning you down. The air seems to vibrate; you can hear a buzz, but you’re not sure where the sound is coming from. Is this sleep paralysis or something more? Suddenly, you feel icy cold fingers caressing your cheeks and a raspy voice whispers, “Come to me. Now is the time.” You’re frozen. Part of you says,”Go, what have you got to lose.” Another part says, “Pull out! This is only a dream.” Suddenly, looming above you is a pale, emaciated face with sunken eyes and thin hair hanging down like stringy tentacles. Screaming, you open your eyes. The apparition is gone, replaced by beads of sweat.
Artwork from Ghost and Demon Japanese Woodblock Prints |
This week’s New Arrival features a PRIMITIVE Press boxed set of greeting cards featuring a series of Japanese Yurei, or Ghosts. The name Yurei translates as “faint spirit.” In Japanese folklore, the Yurei are female spirits kept from a peaceful afterlife. Yet, they are something more than phantoms. As subject matter, they comprise a whole sub-category of traditional Japanese woodblock printing, one of the most venerable art forms the world has ever known. The eight cards in this boxed set are produced using archival materials and suitable for framing. Collectible in their own right, the images they present go beyond faint apparitions. They materialize as eerie, enduring works of art.
Related Blogs: Fascination with Death and In the Dead of the Night