Rabbit (U)

Yashima Gakutei designed Rabbit (U) in 1826 as one of the twelve animals in his complete zodiac surimono cycle. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds the print among the museum's notable holdings of Gakutei's calendar designs.

The rabbit, fourth in the East Asian zodiac, was a favorite subject for printmakers because of its rich associations with the moon, the autumn harvest, and the legendary Jade Rabbit pounding the elixir of immortality. Gakutei depicts the animal with soft, modulated white fur achieved through subtle blank-block printing and outline work, its long ears upright or laid back as it crouches in a pose that conveys watchful alertness. Often the rabbit appears with suggestion of moonlight, autumn grasses, or a moonscape backdrop that connects it to its lunar mythology.

Gakutei trained in the Hokusai school under Totoya Hokkei, and Katsushika Hokusai's interest in animals and their lyrical, seasonal associations is visible in this composition. The Hokusai school's design principles favored clear silhouette and economical color, and Gakutei applies them here to a creature already laden with cultural meaning.