Woman Tuning a Shamisen and a Cat Looking at its Own Reflection

Yashima Gakutei's Woman Tuning a Shamisen and a Cat Looking at its Own Reflection, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, combines two finely observed motifs into a single domestic vignette. The young woman is occupied with the practical, intimate work of preparing her shamisen for play, fingers on the pegs, head bent toward the instrument. Nearby, a cat gazes into a polished surface, transfixed by its own image. The juxtaposition is more than incidental: each figure pursues a private absorption, and together they evoke a quiet interior moment in which musical preparation and curious self-discovery share the same domestic space. Yashima Gakutei worked within the Hokusai school, having trained under Totoya Hokkei and absorbed the broader influence of Katsushika Hokusai. His surimono frequently relied on this kind of layered observation, in which everyday objects and animals were marshaled into compositions that rewarded patient looking. The shamisen, a familiar accessory of urban entertainment and private leisure, contributes both musical and erotic connotations, while the cat brings folkloric associations of independence and uncanny self-awareness. The pairing would have given kyoka poets ample material for witty verse, whether playing on the cat's vanity, the woman's concentration, or the surprising echo between the two acts. As a surimono, the print was likely produced in limited numbers for a specific poetry circle, with verses by club members printed alongside the image. Premium materials and refined printing techniques, including the use of metallic pigments and blind embossing, would have enhanced its character as a luxury object. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's record preserves an exceptional example of Yashima Gakutei's gift for combining genre detail with poetic invention.