Fan Prints of Humorous and Miscellaneous Subjects,
Part I
|
Title: Roku kesen (猫の六毛撰). This is a pun that can mean either Six
Immortal Poets or Six Cats with Fur of Different Colors Description: Cats
imitating the Six Immortal Poets Date: 1843-1846
(censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
||
|
Title: Cats Enjoying
the Evening Cool (猫のすずみ) Description: Cats dressed
as women in a small boat and on a quay Date: 1839-1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Another state of the above design, with the kimono of the cat on the right having been simplified |
||
|
This is a 21st century reproduction
made from newly cut woodblocks by Yuuya Shimoi (Shimoi’s Ukiyoe Reproduction) |
||
|
Title: Cats
Practicing their Music (猫乃けいこ) Date: 1841 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
preliminary sketch for the preceding print. |
||
|
Title: Description: Cats
imitating chapter ten of the novel, The
Tales of Genji Date: c. 1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Title: Eight Cats Show their Colors (Neko-mi hakkei,
猫身八毛意) Description: Cats engaged
in various activities (猫身八毛意) Date: c. 1840 Publisher: Kyu (phonetic
pronunciation of 久) NOTE: I am grateful to Robert Pryor for identifying
this print as a mitate of the Eight Views of Ômi. Ômi hakkei (Eight Views of Ômi,
近江八景) becomes Neko-mi
hakkei (Eight Cats Show their Colors, 猫身八毛意).
1. かたたのらくがん Katata no Rakugan (またたび らくがん, Matatabi Rakugan, Catnip
Candy). Matatabi
(木天蓼) is a Japanese
plant that cats love even more than catnip, and rakugan
(落雁) is a popular
rice-flour and sugar sweet commonly pressed into the form of flowers and
often served at the tea ceremony. The
cat on the right is holding a confectioner’s bag. 2. あわづのせいらん Awazu seiran, なまずにじょうだん Namazu ni jôdan, Playing with
a catfish 3. せたのせきしょう Seta no sekishô, へたなちくしょう Heta na chikushô, So damned inexperienced! (Letting the mouse
escape) 4. やばせのきはん Yabase no kihan, 赤毛のじまん Akage no jiman, “Ginger” shows off (his color) 5. みいのばんしょう Mii no banshô, 三毛のばんじょう Mike no banjô, Calicos on the board (Tortoiseshell cats playing shogi) 6. For Ishiyama no shûgetsu (武蔵野秋月). Although for the Views秋月is usually read
as shûgetsu it can, and probably more often
is, read as akizuki, so the full pun is
based on: いしやまのあきのつきIshiyama no akizuki, ぶちなまのあじのすき Buchi nama no aji no suki, “Spots” loves raw horse
mackerel |
||
|
Preparatory drawing for the above print titled 見立て猫見八貝 |
||
|
Title: A collection
of cats (Nekotsuruken) Description: Cats are
displayed in various attitudes with the following labels: 1. Fight during cat courtship (neko no kenka wa irogurui) 2. A grey cat, a tabby cat and a spotted bobtail cat slinking off
(haige shirobuchi mike
choko choko) 3. Purring and begging (nodo gorogoro narashite nedarimasho) 4. Meow, meow, meow—the soft touch of flirtation (sore nyan nyago nyan nyago
jaretsukuna) 5. Black cat wearing a necklace (karasu ga kubittama shibarareta) 6. Tabby cat wandering around (dora wa hôbô kakezuruten) 7. Mouse, meow, and come here!
(nezumi de nyaa kinasee) Date: 1847 Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô |
||
|
Title: Cat Dance (Neko no odori, 猫のおどり) Description: Cats
performing the daikokumai dance. The fans are decorated with a rebus for an
onomatopoeic rendering of the dance.
The title cartouche is composed of abalone and dried tuna. Date: c. 1841 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Description: Dance of the
spectral animals, a parody on the seven gods of good fortune (the cat is
Benten, and the bullfrog is Hotei) Date: c. 1840 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Title: Cat Ken
(Neko no ken, 猫のけん) Description: Cats playing
the game of ken Date: 1841 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Title: None Description: The cat
family at home Date: c. 1840 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Title: Caged Birds at in the Evening (Kago no tori Suzume iro doki, かごのとりすゞめいろどき) Description: View of the
Yoshiwara with birds as courtesans in the “cages” Date: 1842-1846
(censor Murata Sahei) Publisher: Iba-ya Kyubei I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
||
|
Title: Pale Moon,
Cats in Season (Oborozuki neko no sakari, おぼろ月猫の盛) Description: View of the
Yoshiwara with cats as courtesans behind in “the cage” Date: 1846 Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô |
||
|
Series: A Hundred
Cats’ Physiognomies (Neko no hyaku men-sô, 猫の百面相) Robinson: 201 Description: Faces of cats
dressed as actors from the
seventh act of Chûshingura with the
following roles and actors:
Date: 1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Series: A Hundred
Cats’ Physiognomies (Neko no hyaku men-sô, 猫の百面相) Robinson: 201 Description: Faces of cats
dressed as actors reflected in mirrors with following
actors:
Date: 1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Series: A Hundred
Cats’ Physiognomies (Neko no hyaku men-sô, 猫の百面相) Robinson: 201 Description: Faces of cats
dressed as actors reflected in mirrors with following
actors:
Date: 1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Series: A Hundred
Cats’ Physiognomies (Neko no hyaku men-sô, 猫の百面相) Robinson: 201 Description: Date: 1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Title: Act 3 (San danme, 三段目) Description: Cats
performing act three of the Chûshingura in which Honzo
bribes Moronao with various fishy treats. The mon are also constructed from shellfish. Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: No seal I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image and
information. |
||
|
Title: Fishing with Octopus (Tako sakana, たこさかな) Description: Cats
performing the teahouse scene from act seven of the Chûshingura. Kudayû is testing
Yuranosuke by getting him to eat octopus on the
anniversary of Enya’s death, which would be breaking a taboo. Many of the clothing mon
and decorations are seafood. Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Description: Cats
performing a scene from a play Date: Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
||
|
Description: Cats’ kabuki with degatari chanters Date: c.1842 Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô |
||
|
Title: Futatsu chôchô kuruwa nikki Description: Two cats as sumô wrestlers in a famous scene from
the kabuki theater Date: Publisher: |
||
|
Title: Kagamiyama (鏡見山) Description: Cats as
actors in a scene from the kabuki
play Kagamiyama kokyô no nishikie Date: c. 1839-1842 Publisher: |
||
|
Title: None Description:
Anthropomorphic cats relaxing in summer Date: c. 1842 Publisher: No seal |
||
|
Title: Description: Funny looking
characters dancing Date: 1843-1846
(censor Yoshimura Gentarô) Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei.j I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
||
|
Title: None Description: Noblemen
shooting arrows at a target Date: 1843-1846
(censor Hama Yohei) Publisher: Izuzen I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
||
|
Title: None Description: Two women
with a sandal vendor Date: 1847-1850
(censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Izuzen |
||
|
Title: None Description: Child with an
insect cage Date: c. 1829 Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
||
|
Title: Popular
Competitions (Ryûkô kurabe, 流行競) Subtitle: Comical Three Beat Dance (Dôke
mitsubyoushi, 道外三ツびやうし) Description: Men dancing Date: 1842-1846
(censor Watanabe Shôemon) Publisher: Kojima-ya Jûbei I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
||
|
Text: The puppeteer
Yoshida Hyokichi performing the seven changes dance
(Yoshida Hyôkichi shichihenge
shosagoto no uchi konotokoro hayagawari ôatari, 吉田兵吉七変化所作事之内 此所早替り大当り／＼) Date: 1835 Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei, I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image. |
|
“Robinson” refers to series
number in Kuniyoshi by Basil
William Robinson, 1961,
|
