In Japan, images of the stages are called kusōzu (九相図, lit. 'nine-phase pictures')[1]: 24 and became related to aesthetic ideas of impermanence. [2]: 295.

Sep 10, 2020 · This unique tradition called Kusôzu, consists of watercolor paintings that depicts the slow decay of a body, usually female, from the first moment of death to the final stage of …

Apr 4, 2005 · One of the most provocative images in Japanese art is the kusozu, a graphic depiction of a corpse in the process of decay and decomposition.

Jan 10, 2022 · Learn about the Japanese art of Kusozu including its origins, the nine stages it represents, where it comes from, and notable Kusozu works of art.

Mar 6, 2015 · Kusozu: the death of a noble lady and the decay of her body, panel 1 of 9. This first painting depicts a court lady in a kimono is seated indoors with a scroll in her left hand, upon which she has written her farewell poem. Image credit: Wellcome Collections

Jun 24, 2014 · “Body of a Courtesan in Nine Stages” is an example of kusozu, the illustration of a decomposing corpse, that was popular in Japanese art from about the 13th to 19th centuries.

Oct 8, 2023 · Kusôzu is on an immediate motif that vividly cuts the process of the body’s annihilation into ten pieces: The boundaries between these opposing worlds are manifested. What is Nine-phase contemplation? “Nine-phase contemplation” is a part of the sense of impurity in which one contemplates the impurity of the body.

The term "kusôzu" literally translates to "painting of the nine stages of a decaying corpse," and the genre typically features sequential depictions of a decaying female cadaver. These works aim to demonstrate the transience of the physical form and the abject nature of the human body, particularly the female form.

In the first painting she is seated indoors at a low red table, wearing a kimono, with a scroll in her left hand, upon which she has written her farewell poem: she is pallid, and her expression is preoccupied.

Oct 21, 2023 · Kusozu, a term that translates to "nine stages of a decaying corpse," is a unique and somewhat macabre art form that originated in Japan. Despite its grim subject matter, Kusozu is a fascinating exploration of the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death, themes that are central to many Buddhist teachings.