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https://illustrationchronicles.com/obsessed-with-cats-the-ukiyo-e-prints-of-utagawa-kuniyoshi>
"Fifty-five cats appear in this triptych print by the Japanese illustrator
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861). One of them crawls out of a basket; a few catch
rats; others eat fish. They look terrific but is there a reason behind the
illustration? To my eye, the image is clearly more than just a series of
sketches. It makes me wonder do their actions carry some kind of meaning, or
are they simply the work of a man who loved cats? To answer these questions,
it's best to travel back to a time long before the print was made and discover
where this obsession with cats all began.
In the sixth century, Buddhist monks travelled from China to Japan. On these
journeys, they brought scriptures, drawings, and relics – items that they hoped
would help them introduce the teachings of Buddhism to the large island nation.
They also had something else on board that would leave a lasting impression; to
guard over their possessions, they travelled with domesticated cats. They
believed that these creatures could bring good luck and that they would be able
to guard the sacred texts from the hungry mice that had stowed on board their
ships. While the lasting influence of Buddhism was certainly something that the
monks had hoped for, it is unlikely that any of them could have imagined just
how big an impression their feline companions would also make on the country.
Today, cats can be found nearly everywhere in Japan. From special cafés and
shrines to entire cat islands. Indeed the owners of one Japanese train station
were so enamoured with their cat that they appointed her stationmaster. It’s
fair to say that the country's feline fixation knows no bounds. And yet, this
obsession isn't a recent phenomenon, it can be found throughout all aspects of
the country's history, and it doesn't take long to find some really fascinating
examples of it."
Via Muse, who wrote "What a fun article!"
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
