BRUNSWICK — An exhibition exploring themes of the supernatural and otherworldly creatures in woodblock prints of the late Edo period (1600–1868) is on view at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.

The 40 woodblock prints are from the private collection of Cornell University faculty member Dan McKee. Netsuke, small ivory carvings that depict demons and animals, from the college museum collection, will also be displayed.

“Fantastic Stories invites visitors to revel in scenes of mythical beings, vengeful ghosts and mischievous demons and also will explore how the accompanying narratives conveyed in these prints informed codes of moral instruction and social commentary in Japan,” said museum staff member Sarah J. Montross, Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow.

Supernatural themes have been prominent fixtures in folk tales and legends from Japanese literary and religious traditions for over a millennium. The prominent 19th-century artists featured in this exhibition mined these rich histories in their development of innovative printmaking techniques that engaged a broader, and increasingly secularized, public. Featured artists include Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Kawanabe Kyosai, Utagawa Kunisada and Katsushika Hokusai.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are several prints that represent scenes from Yotsuya Kaidan, the classic ghost tale of a betrayed wife who, after death, seeks revenge on her deceitful husband.

“Fantastic Stories” also includes clips from classic Japanese ghost films of the 1960s to demonstrate how such frightening narratives have evolved during the 20th century.

“Japan, with its lack of stark division between the divine and the mundane, has particularly rich traditions of otherworldly and worldly interaction,” McKee said. “These prints represent many pleasurable and chilling representations of what may lie ‘out there,’ unseen around us, or beyond the grave.”

Organized on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Asian studies at Bowdoin, “Fantastic Stories: The Supernatural in Nineteenth-Century Japanese Prints” will be up through March 3.

The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is open to the public free of charge 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; until 8:30 p.m. Thursday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit bowdoin.edu/art-museum.

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