Kuniyoshi 国芳: Beauty With Enthusiastically Clambering Cat (Oo, itai おお,いたい)

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)
Title: Oo, itai おお,いたい (No. 7 Ouch! That hurts!) Series: Celebrated Products of Mountains and Seas 山海目出度圖會 Sankai medetai zue
Date: 1852

A feisty pet bobtailed cat clambers up his owner's kimono, digging in his claws in the process. She has obvious affection for the cat, but at the moment she is not too keen on the attention. The title reflects the feeling of “It hurts!”, the humorous title of the work. We can imagine the sharp points of the cat’s claws inadvertently causing pain as it digs them in. In the inset vignette we see a giant octopus threatening a man in a small boat in Etchû Province; the man has even severed a tentacle with a long knife. In this humorous comparison, perhaps the woman feels overwhelmed by the needs of her kitty, and he seems to have as many claws as the octopus has tentacles. In this series, we see bijin of various occupations and social strata expressing a specific desire or feeling. In the background a Kuniyoshi pupil draws a comparison of sorts with famous regional products. The celebrated product is Giant octopus from the Nameri River in Etchû. The cat’s fur features extensive blindprinting, as does the red layer of the beauty’s garments. One of the strongest cat designs in ukiyo-e, by the artist who is most celebrated for his cat depictions. Scarce, especially in this condition.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Untrimmed and unbacked. Minor binding holes at left, but otherwise exceptionally fresh.
Dimensions: ôban (36 x 25 cm) Publisher: Tsutaya Kichizo
Literature: See: Robinson 1961, no. 117; Amsterdam 1998, no. 154; Madison 2007, no. 152;  Another example exhibited: 2009 Mar-Jun, London, Royal Academy, Kuniyoshi: From the Arthur R. Miller Collection. Nobuhisa, Kaneko, Cats in Ukiyo-e: Japanese Woodblock print of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (2012), page 62. See British Museum, Chazen Museum. Seal: kiri  Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga

SKU: KUY638