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

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 21^st 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

Title: (This genji-mon represents the tenth chapter of the novel, The Tales of Genji. It is one of a set of 54 rectilinear heraldic devices, each representing one of the chapters.)

Description: Cats imitating chapter ten of the novel, The Tales of Genji

Date: c. 1842

Publisher: No seal

Description: Cats engaged in various activities (猫身八毛意)

Date: c. 1840

Publisher: Kyu (phonetic pronunciation of 久)

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

Description: Dancing cats

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: Three Cats at an Indoor Party

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: 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:

1. Onoe Eisaburô III (Baikô) 2. Nakamura Utaemon IV 3. Ôboshi Rikiya: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII 4. Ôboshi Yuranosuke: Sawamura Sôjûrô V 5. Ono Kudayû: Seki Sanjûrô III 6. Nakamura Shibajûrô (probably) 7. Okaru: Iwai Shijaku

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:

1. Osagawa Tsuneyo IV 2. Unknown 3. Seki Sanjûrô III 4. Ôtani Hiroemon V 5. Iwai Tojaku (Iwai Hanshirô V) 6. Ichikawa Ebizô V 7. Ichikawa Hirogorô 8. Ichikawa Hakoemon 9. Nakayama Genjûrô (Ichizô)

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:

1. Arashi Kichisaburô III 2. Iwai Shijaku (Iwai Hanshirô VII) 3. Ichikawa Kuzô II 4. Ichikawa Ebizô V (lobster pattern) 5. Onoe Kikujirô II 6. Nakayama Bungorô 7. Sawamura Sôjûrô V

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

Description: Cats performing act three of the Chûshingura

Date:

Publisher:

Description: Cats performing a scene from a play

Date:

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

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 (賀美山)

Description: Cats as actors in a scene from the kabuki play Kagamiyama kokyô no nishikie

Date:

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.

“Robinson” refers to series number in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson, 1961, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PART II