- Provenance
- Provenance research underway.
- Label
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Like foxes and badgers, cats possessing supernatural powers are relatively common in Japanese folktales and legends. Kuniyoshi's print depicts the warrior Kamada Matahachi killing a monstrous cat in the mountains of Seishv (present-day Ise). At the time of this print's publication around 1840, tales of cat sorcery were in vogue. Takizawa Bakin's lively narrative, The Story of the Eight Dogs of the Satomi Clan (Nanso Satomi hakkenden), published serially between 1814 and 1847, includes an episode in which a hero vanquishes a huge cat witch. Kuniyoshi was fond of cats, which often appear in his observant, sympathetic, and humorous prints, and at times in anthropomorphic guises as courtesans or actors.
- Published References
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- Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 78, pp. 210-211.
- Collection Area(s)
- Japanese Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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Usage Conditions Apply
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-7440_22