This mummy represents a monkey yōkai ( sarugami , "monkey spirit"), a mythical creature from Japanese folklore, at the border between the human and animal worlds. Its hollow torso, grimacing jaw, and powerful fangs recall the representations of demonic monkeys mentioned in ancient chronicles and illustrated scrolls from the Edo period. The sarugami is described as a wild mountain monkey, possessing formidable intelligence and supernatural strength, capable of bringing illness or protection depending on the attitude of humans.

In Japanese beliefs, the monkey occupies an ambivalent place. A messenger of Shinto deities, it is also seen as a guardian of shrines and a natural exorcist: the word saru (monkey) is pronounced like saru ("to go away"), making it a symbol of purification and banishment of evil spirits. Monkey yōkai embody this dual nature: powerful, cunning, sometimes grotesque, they are both protective and threatening.

This mummy is fully in line with the tradition of misemono (見世物), the popular exhibitions of Edo where natural curiosities, automatons, or extraordinary creatures were presented to the public. The mummies of yōkai—kappa, tengu, mermaids, or demonic monkeys—were then exhibited as tangible proof of the invisible. They testified to the Japanese taste for the materialization of the supernatural and the balance between belief, art, and spectacle.

Made of papier-mâché and natural materials , this mummy displays a high degree of plastic invention and technical mastery. The elongated body, the hooked fingers and the dramatic tension of the face evoke the frozen moment of a mythical transformation. The reddish-brown surface mimics dried skin , reinforcing the creature's physical presence and its character as a relic.

The monkey yokai mummy belongs to this Japanese tradition of curiosities where craftsmanship becomes a form of storytelling. It perpetuates the spirit of misemono and the attraction to liminal creatures, which connect nature, the human, and the divine in a shared fascination with mystery.

Papier-mâché and natural materials, Japan, 21st century.
Dimensions: H. 24 cm; L. 10 cm; D. 7.5 cm.