Three cats

"Three cats" places Fukami Gashu within the long [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e) tradition of feline imagery most strongly associated with Utagawa Kuniyoshi, whose triptychs and single-sheet designs of cats—domestic, anthropomorphized, and humorous—established the cat as a serious subject for the Japanese woodblock print. A composition arranging three cats invites pictorial play: variations in posture, color, and relation, with each animal occupying a distinct register within the picture plane. The mokuhanga technique allows precise outlining of fur patterns through key-block carving and tonal variation across short hairs through [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) or careful registration of solid colors. Given the Fukami print already documented as referencing Kuniyoshi's style, "Three cats" appears to extend that affiliation, working within a recognizable subject category that links late Edo ukiyo-e practice to modern continuations of the form. The grouping format also recalls the multi-figure cat compositions for which Kuniyoshi was particularly known.