Akitsushima. The Island of Dragonflies

Japanese Armour from the Collection of Wiktoria and Adam Jurgilewicz

Dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata) are some of the oldest insects in evolutionary terms, with about 6,400 species classified to date, of which 74 can be found in Poland. These predatory creatures have always triggered extreme reactions: delight, due to their extraordinary colour-changing wings and admiration for their unique flying skills and hunting prowess, but also anxiety, and sometimes even groundless fear. Their perceptions have been diverse in different cultures across the world. The dragonfly (tonbo) motif occupies a special place in Japanese culture and art as it combines natural order with warrior symbolism and the sophisticated aesthetics of utilitarian objects, while its significance goes back to the nation’s ancient writing traditions. The Kojiki, or Records of Ancient Matters recorded the earliest known name of Japan – Akitsushima, or “the Island of Dragonflies”.

Flora and fauna motifs embellish military artefacts, notably sword guards (tsuba), hilt caps, helmets and armour, as nature permeates every aspect of the Japanese people’s life, including that of the samurai myth. Consequently, the dragonfly is part of Japanese iconography, forming a fascinating link between the world of nature and the rigorous ethos of the samurai class. In the Japanese warrior culture, the dragonfly was referred to as kachimushi, or “victory insect”. This interpretation stemmed from a singular entomological observation: a dragonfly never moves back when flying, which makes it a perfect metaphor for relentlessness, determination, and valour in battle. That quality was the reason why the dragonfly motif was applied on weapons, helmets, armour components, sword mountings, horse tack, and small objects of personal use.

At the same time, the presence of such a delicate and fragile motif in the military context reveals the distinctive characteristic of Japanese visual culture – its ability to combine practical function with elaborate symbolism and aesthetics. The samurai armour was more than just a set of implements protecting the body. It was also a sign of clan identity, a status marker, and a statement of its owner’s individual set of beliefs. Ornamentation inspired by the world of nature did not therefore merely serve a decorative function but was part of a broader code of meanings, in which animals, plants, and natural phenomena designated a person’s respective characteristics, his attitude towards the world and place in the social order.

As opposed to East Asian cultures, where the dragonfly stood for strength, courage, and success, the Western tradition had an ambiguous perception of the insect. In a large part of Europe, dragonflies were regarded as sinister, menacing forces. This demonic connotation was prevalent in Nordic and Germanic folklore. Sometimes, it was plainly considered a symbol of the devil. The dragonfly surfaced relatively late in Western art, in the context of the Low Countries’ tradition of nature observation. Towards the end of the 16th century, Dutch artists showed an unprecedented degree of interest in the natural world. Local insects and other hitherto ignored “small creatures” became the subject of their studies and depictions while samples of ever new species were obtained from the colonies, by expeditions and through global trade. In Dutch vanitas still lifes, the inclusion of snails, caterpillars and insects feeding on plants was a telling reminder of the transience of existence, and dragonflies were a significant part of that iconography. In the 17th and 18th centuries, insect depictions were dominated by a scientific, encyclopedic approach. While the Enlightenment’s postulate of gaining knowledge was paramount, some of the atlases and separate plates continue to delight us with their artistic quality and beauty to this day. Copper engravings by Maria Sibylla Merian, Moses Harris, and Albertus Seba show an affinity to the Japanese coloured woodblock prints in the kachō-ga genre.

The exhibition is a presentation of a unique collection of Japanese armour and other military artefacts that share the dragonfly motif. It is enhanced by woodcuts and paintings depicting flowers, dragonflies, and butterflies (kachō-ga) as well as dynamic warrior prints (musha-e). Juxtaposing these works makes it possible to see samurai arms and armour not only as a testament to history but also as a complex artistic phenomenon. The details of the cuirasses and helmets demonstrate the superb craftsmanship of the artisans of old, coupled with a singular aesthetic sensibility in which observation of nature found its way onto objects involved in combat, struggle, power, and projection of status. The presence of dragonflies on militaria is more than indicative that – in Japanese culture – beauty and strength, contemplation of nature and experience of war, the fragility of life and the idea of victory did not operate as opposites but as part of a coherent symbolical imagination.

Akitsushima. The Island of Dragonflies. Japanese Armour from the Collection of Wiktoria and Adam Jurgilewicz is another exhibition in a long series of Manggha Museum presentations focused on the interactions of various cultures and aesthetics, shared and dissimilar perspectives, as well as problems of nature, i.e. non-humans. It is for the first time that we are showcasing this important Japanese symbol in the context of Western imagery, in phenomenal, early-modern prints by Maria Sibylla Merian, Albertus Seba, John Jonston, and Moses Harris, among others. Furthermore, the exhibition features works prepared specifically for it by contemporary Polish artists: Katarzyna Makieła-Organisty, Kaja Mucha, Kinga Nowak an Marcin Janusz. All of that at the most appropriate venue for such a presentation – the Manggha Museum, or the Island of Dragonflies.

Anna Król