Feline Fantasies: Cats in the Floating World

Feline Fantasies: Cats in the Floating World
Cats were by far the most popular pets depicted in prints, paintings and book illustrations that chronicled the urban popular culture of the Edo and Meiji periods. Drawing on both the current Japan Society exhibition and the massive Japanese art collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Sarah E. Thompson, Assistant Curator for Japanese Prints at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will examine depictions of cats in three aspects: the elegant cat, a symbol of sophistication and allure; the predatory cat, from helpful mouser to supernatural monster; and the comical cat, an anthropomorphic vehicle for humor and satire.
Life of Cats:
Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection
Since arriving in Japan aboard Japanese ships transporting sacred Buddhist scriptures from China in the mid-sixth century, cats have proceeded to purr and paw their way into the heart of Japanese life, folklore, and art. Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection illustrates the depth of this mutual attraction by mining the wealth of bravura depictions of cats to be found in ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the Edo Period (1615-1867). The exhibition is divided into five sections: Cats and People, Cats as People, Cats versus People, Cats Transformed and Cats and Play. 90 ukiyo-e prints in the exhibition are on loan from the esteemed Hiraki Ukiyo-e Foundation whose holdings are revered in Japan. Select prints, paintings, sculptures, and other works borrowed from U.S. collections complement these prints, making the exhibition over 120 artworks. With cross-cultural and multi-generational appeal, Life of Cats takes viewers on a wild ride through Japan’s love affair with our feline friends.