Rokurokubi 

Katsushika Hokusai crafted this woodblock print, Rokurokubi, capturing a chilling scene from Japanese folklore. Here, a woman's head is detached from her body, her neck elongated, weaving through the space as if unbound by physical laws. The Rokurokubi, a specter from the depths of Japanese imagination, embodies our primal fears of the body’s fragility and the uncanny separation of mind and matter. This motif of the stretched or detachable body part echoes in various cultures – consider the long necks of ancient Egyptian art, symbolizing status, or the disembodied heads in Celtic legends. The unsettling image might reflect a deeper cultural anxiety: the fear of the "other" lurking beneath a familiar facade, and the subconscious dread of losing control over one's own body. This tension engages viewers on a deep, subconscious level, provoking unease and fascination. The Rokurokubi evolves, resurfaces and adapts to new eras, reminding us of the enduring power of symbols to reflect our deepest psychological landscapes across time.