Kunisada: Dancing Cats and Possessed Widow from the play Hana no Saga Nekomata Hanashi (SOLD)

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Title: Hana no Saga Neko ma Hanashi 花埜嵯峨猫魔稿 Date: 1853

Kabuki triptych from the play “Hana no Saga Nekoma Hanashi ” 花埜嵯峨猫魔稿 showing a possessed widow with ghostly dancing cats on either side.  In the center sheet is the widow Saga 後室さがの方, played by Ichikawa Kodanji IV, depicted holding a child while also dancing in a rather possessed catlike manner. On the right is Itô Sôta 伊東壮太, played by Ichikawa Danjuro VIII and on the left, the concubine Kochô 胡蝶, played by Onoe Baiko IV. Sôta is behind the screen, watching what is happening and seemingly about to take action by putting his hand on his sword. In the center is the possessed widow Saga with long white hair, with both hands positioned just like cat’s paws. Her dancing motion is depicted in her swinging kimono, especially around her right leg, which she pulls up high in the air as both hands move towards  the left. On both sides, two children are coming out from the screen and dancing with the widow Saga. On the screen itself we see two empty outlines by a well under a tree– they seem to have now come to life. (It is said in one version that the dead body was thrown into a well. Also in a ghost story often a ghost comes out of a well.) Behind each child we see cats dancing, imitating each posture of the children. The cats themselves seem to be dissolving into ghostliness in their lower bodies. Princess Kochô  at left looks back towards what is happening with mild alarm front of a screen with maple leaves. Her kimono has gorgeous chrysanthemums and peony, kan-botan, showing the autumnal season.  Her hands also seem to be clenched, perhaps helpless not be somewhat carried along by these supernatural events.

Here, to avoid the wrath of censors,  instead of the Saga han/clan 佐賀藩, a phonetically same Saga-no 嵯峨野 in Kyoto is used in this title.

This play was written by Segawa Jyokô III, based on the crises surrounding the change in control in the 16th century of the Saga Clan of Hizen (present Saga Prefecture and a part of Nagasaki Pref.), which was told in many different ways around this time period. One legend is as follows: A cat ghost tormented Nabeshima Mitsumori, the Lord who killed the son of the widow Saga (Ryûzôji Matashichirô) during a hotheaded moment in a game of go. In her sorrow, she killed herself after lamenting her son’s death to her cat. After having licked her blood, the cat became possessed by her vengeful spirit and entered Nabeshima’s castle and tormented Mitsushige every night. His loyal retainer, Komori Hanzaemon, later  killed this cat and saved the Nabeshima Clan. In an interesting historical note, this Kabuki play “Hana no Saga Nekoma hanashi” 花埜嵯峨猫魔稿, actually had to be cancelled due to the protests from the Saga Clan in 1853.

Condition: Excellent impression and color. Very good condition. Some binding holes on rightmost sheet and minor trimming.

Dimensions: ôban triptych (36.4 x 25 cm each sheet)
Signature: Toyokuni ga豊国画  Publisher: Yamamoto Heikichi References: Paget, Rhiannon. Divine Felines: The Cat in Japanese Art. Tuttle (2023), p. 125.

SKU: KUS602