Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection at the Japan Society

I have a three year old cat I adopted from the ASPCA when I first moved to New York. He’s a black cat and his name is Cesare after Cesare Borgia. Naturally, I’m a cat (and overall, an animal) lover and this exhibition, brought to my attention by a fellow Sotheby’s alum, clearly appealed to my interests. The selection of (mostly) Edo woodblock prints were whimsical and combined myth and folklore with history and culture.

From the Japan Society’s press release:

“Since arriving in Japan aboard Japanese ships transporting sacred Buddhist scriptures from China in the mid-sixth century, cats have proceeded to purr and paw their way into the heart of Japanese life, folklore, and art. Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection illustrates the depth of this mutual attraction by mining the wealth of bravura depictions of cats to be found in ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the Edo Period (1615-1867). The exhibition is divided into five sections: Cats and People, Cats as People, Cats versus People, Cats Transformed and Cats and Play. 90 ukiyo-e prints in the exhibition are on loan from the esteemed Hiraki Ukiyo-e Foundation whose holdings are revered in Japan. Select prints, paintings, sculptures, and other works borrowed from U.S. collections complement these prints, making the exhibition over 120 artworks. With cross-cultural and multi-generational appeal, Life of Cats takes viewers on a wild ride through Japan’s love affair with our feline friends.”

This exhibition will run through June 7, 2015.