Cat

Cat depicts a feline subject rendered in the naturalistic style that characterizes Honjo Masahiko's mokuhanga practice. Although his primary body of work centers on kacho-ga --- flowers and birds --- this print extends his observational approach to a domestic animal, likely studied directly from life in the Kobe environment surrounding his studio. The print would employ multiple carved blocks to build up the cat's fur in graduated tones, with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) used to model volume and suggest the softness of pelt against the [washi](/glossary/washi) paper. Honjo carves and prints each block himself in the traditional mokuhanga manner, applying pigment with brushes and pressing the paper with a [baren](/glossary/baren) rather than relying on mechanical reproduction. The hand-printing process allows for tonal subtlety in his animal subjects, where textural differentiation between fur, eyes, and whiskers depends on careful registration across multiple impressions. The work reflects the contemplative naturalism Honjo absorbed during his studies under Ido Masao at Kyoto University of Education in the 1980s.