Dr. Fukushi’s Human Skin Collection: A Mini-Essay

     Although horimono and irezumi are Japanese synonyms for tattoo, the later held a negative cultural connotation for generations.[1] Originally a penal marking for criminals, the practice developed over the course of centuries into a form of individualized artistic expression.[2] By the eighteenth century, irezumi emerged as a style of full-body tattooing which requires years of lengthy sessions to complete and has attracted the admiration of many in Japanese society.[3] One of these individuals was the medical doctor Masaichi Fukushi who, in the 1920s, brought his fascination with irezumi into the realm of academia. Beginning in 1926, the pathologist commenced chronicling the unique artform in both photographs and preserved hides, which were collected from corpses.[4] The efforts of Dr. Fukushi, though, were far removed from the sinister behaviors of such individuals as Ed Gein. Perceiving this artistry as a cultural artifact, the doctor performed delicate autopsies on the bodies of diseased individuals (all of whom had previously given their consent), removed only the dermal layer containing the ink, and carefully stretched the skin under framed glass.[5] In fact, Dr. Fukushi was known for generously providing financial assistance to individuals struggling with the extensive and expensive process surrounding irezumi. Before the outbreak of World War II, the pathologist managed to amass nearly two-thousand skins and over three-thousand photographs; however, all of the photographic catalogs were destroyed in air raids during the war.[6] Surprisingly, the carefully preserved skins survived the blasts and found a permanent home in Tokyo University’s Medical Pathology Museum.[7] 

Works Referenced

Quigley, Christine. Modern Mummies: The Preservation of the Human Body in the Twentieth Century. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 2006.

Van Gulik, W.R. Irezumi: The Pattern of Dermatography in Japan. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1982.

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[1] Van Gulik, 3.
[2] Van Gulik, 3-14.

[3] Van Gulik, 19-37.

[4] Quigley, 152.

[5] Quigley, 152.

[6] Quigley, 152.

[7] Quigley, 152-153.

“Fun House” and “Tickets” Signs

$20 - $25 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes two signs

To complement the carnival signs, I crafted “Fun House” and “Tickets” signs to include into my office’s demented circus theme. Using similar techniques, I embellished these versions with skull accents and fake light bulbs made from Christmas ornaments.

• Two 20” x 30” foam boards
• Two rolls of colorful wrapping paper (roughly seventeen square feet per roll)
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Ten clear plastic Christmas ornaments (two inches in diameter)
• One small plastic skull
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat blue*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in cherry cobbler*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in nutmeg*
• One deck of large playing cards (roughly 3.5” x 6” in size)
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the cards
  

1. Cut the signs’ shapes out of the foam boards. You can give them a simple arch or engineer more elaborate patterns. If you want the signs to have boarders, reserve the excess trimmings and use them to fabricate this.

2. Brush a light layer of glue onto each sign and cover them with wrapping paper. For visual interest, I decided to use two different patterns. You, though, are free to use one or many based on your preferences. To make the paper appear worn, crumple it up prior to adhering it to the boards and tear holes into it.

3. Remove the hanging hoops from the backs of the ornaments and glue them to the boarders of the signs to imitate light bulbs. Their positioning depends entirely on your chosen appearance for the props. You can also use smaller bulbs for an alternate look.

4. Cut the mandible and back off the skull. You want the item to sit flat against the sign. To make this process easier, purchase a skull made from thin plastic. If it helps, trace the outline of your cut with a marker first.

5. Detail the skull with polychromatic paints. Your face can be as fanciful of frightening as you choose. If you struggle with drawing, find templates online and use a pencil to lightly sketch their patterns. Once the paint has dried, adhere the skull to the sign.

6. To add additional age and distress, dust the signs with a light coat of nutmeg spray paint. To give the appearance of dirt, hold the can over twelve inches away from the sign’s surface and make quick flicking motions. You can also apply a flecking of black paint and smears of brown paint to enhance the weathered appearance.

7. Begin the distressing process for the cards by roughening their surfaces and removing parts of the print with sandpaper. Once this is done, boil enough water to completely submerge them and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the cards in the coffee mixture and soak them until they reach the color you desire. I soaked mine for one day and scattered the coffee grounds over the tops to add spots. You may have to work in small batches if you cannot find a container large enough to hold all the cards at once.

8. Once the cards have dried, glue them to the signs. You will want each card to represent one letter in the words you would like displayed. It helps to plan this out ahead of time and play with the positioning beforehand. For visual interest, do not center each card on the sign and switch between using the fronts and backs.

9. Use cherry cobbler paint to write the letters onto the cards. You want the wording to be haphazard. To achieve this, exaggerate curves, create sharp points, and elongate certain aspects. You could also write letters backwards and deliberately misspell words. Keep in mind, though, that the signs need to be readable, so try not to overdo your artistic flairs.

10. If you plan to display these props on a wall or other surface, consider making hanging loops with steel wire on the backs. Also, to amplify the creepiness, you could smatter bloody handprints onto the signs, dangle severed ears or fingers from their edges, or adhere clusters of crawling insects.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

"The Shadow on the Stone" (A Poem)

Originally published in Poems of 1912-13, Thomas Hardy’s “The Shadow on the Stone” is one of three elegies the author penned to his first wife Emma, who died in 1912.[1] Using the Neolithic stone block in their garden as the opening image, Hardy envisions her ghost standing behind him as he stares at the spot where she once gardened. Although the writer knows there is no entity, he chooses not to turn around and confirm this fact. Rather, he hopelessly holds on to the fleeting hope that her presence is still with him.

I went by the Druid stone

That broods in the garden white and lone,

And I stopped and looked at the shifting shadows

That at some moments fall thereon

From the tree hard by with a rhythmic swing,

And they shaped in my imagining

To the shade that a well-known head and shoulders

Threw there when she was gardening.

I thought her behind my back,

Yea, her I long had learned to lack,

And I said: “I am sure you are standing behind me,

Though how do you get into this old track?”

And there was no sound but the fall of a leaf

As a sad response; and to keep down grief

I would not turn my head to discover

That there was nothing in my belief.

Yet I wanted to look and see

That nobody stood at the back of me;

But I thought once more: “Nay, I’ll not unvision

A shape which, somehow, there may be.”

So I went on softly from the glade,

And left her behind me throwing her shade,

As she were indeed an apparition -

My head unturned lest my dream should fade.[2]

Works Referenced

Hardy, Thomas. “The Shadow on the Stone.” Thomas Hardy: Selected Poems. Ed. Robert Mezey. New York: Penguin Books, 1998. 137.

Riquelme, John Paul. “The Modernity of Thomas Hardy’s Poetry.” The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Hardy. Ed. Dale Kramer. London: Cambridge University Press, 1999. 204-223.

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[1] Riquelme, 215.
[2] Hardy, 137.