Fan Prints of Humorous and Miscellaneous Subjects,

Part I

 

 

Title: Roku kesen.  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:

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Title: Cats Enjoying the Evening Cool

Date: 1839-1842

Publisher: No seal

A different state of the above print

Title:

Description: Cats playing music

Date: 1841

Publisher: No seal

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

Date:

Publisher: No seal

Description: Cats engaged in various activities

Date:

Publisher: Kyu

Preparatory drawing for the above print

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

Description: The cat family at home

Date: c. 1840

Publisher: No seal

Description: View of the Yoshiwara with cats as courtesans behind in “the cage”

Date:

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Series: A Hundred Cats’ Physiognomies (Neko no hyaku men-sô)

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)

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)

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)

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

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

Date:

Publisher:

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

 

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