高札 kosatsu (edict board)

高札 kosatsu (edict board) , 1682, Edo period (1600–1868)

Where object was made: Japan

Material/technique: metal; wood; ink

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 49 x 92.5 x 5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 19 5/16 x 36 7/16 x 1 15/16 in

Credit line: Museum purchase: R. Charles and Mary Margaret Clevenger Art Acquisition Fund

Accession number: 2014.0041

Not on display

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This kosatsu, or edict board, forbids the practice of Christianity and represents the complicated history of the Catholic Church in Japan. In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, regarded as the “great unifier” of Japan, expelled all Jesuit missionaries working in the country. In 1597, 26 Japanese Christians were executed in Nagasaki, and are known today as the 26 Martyrs. Eventually, Japanese people suspected of practicing the outlawed religion were required to step on special images of Jesus and Mary known as fumi-e, which translates to “stepping on pictures.” Edict boards like this one were erected all over Japan and often appear in Japanese prints. The legal ban on Christianity in Japan was not lifted until 1873. This edict board was kept by a missionary family for several generations.