A bijin print depicting a beauty playing with a cat using a string of flags — a domestic scene combining the conventional [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) accessory of the cat with the playful intelligence that made feline companions such popular subjects in Japanese art. The string of flags (likely New Year or festival pennants) suggests a seasonal context, and the cat's focused pursuit of the waving pennants provides the kind of movement and energy that animate what might otherwise be a purely static composition. Chikanobu captures the woman's delight in the cat's play with characteristic warmth.
Meiji period, dated October 10, 1896
Woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Beauty with a Cat playing with a String of flags was created by Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延).
Beauty with a Cat playing with a String of flags depicts music, bijin-ga, and animals.
