kusôzu

One of the most provocative images in Japanese art is the kusôzu, a graphic depiction of a corpse in the process of decay and decomposition. The kusôzu, "painting of the nine stages of a decaying corpse", was executed in Japan from approximately the thirteenth through the nineteenth centuries in various formats, including handscrolls, hanging scrolls, and printed books. The subject itself is derived from a traditional Buddhist doctrine that urges contemplation on the nine stages of a decaying corpse. The teaching dates to the early fifth century and promotes a systematic meditation on the impurity of a decaying corpse as an aid to ardent devotees who wish to liberate themselves from sensual desires and affections.