Cats by Kuniyoshi: Ukiyo-E Paper Book

Imagine life in Edo, Tokyo, from the 17th-19th century. In the early modern period there were many Ukiyo-e shops which sold woodblock prints displaying then-current styles and fashions much like our fashion photography and magazines today. Each Ukiyo-e work was sold individually, and people bought the beautifully printed sheets of paper to keep up on trends of the day and/or to enjoy the art-works by displaying them on their walls as interior decor.

This art book features cats humorously and satirically depicted by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1792-1892), an outstanding Ukiyo-e great master. Sixty pages of these beautiful reproductions are removable, so that one may re-use the Ukiyo-e for many purposes (decoration, writing, wrapping, collage). The backside of each sheet of fine Japanese paper includes elegantly simplified designs based on the featured Ukiyo-e designs.

Cats By Kuniyoshi is a wonderful gift for lovers of Japanese art, and for anyone fond of cats.