Teasing the Cat

Art Historical Context

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi1839–1892), one of the great masters of ukiyo-e woodblock, created *Teasing the Cat* 1888 during Japan's Meiji period (1868–1912). This era marked rapid modernization and Western influences, yet Yoshitoshi clung to traditional Japanese aesthetics, blending them with innovative flair. The print captures a playful domestic moment—a woman gently teasing a cat—evoking the bijin-ga tradition of depicting elegant women in everyday scenes, infused with subtle humor and grace. Crafted as a woodblock print with ink and color on paper, the work exemplifies the meticulous ukiyo-e technique: carvers and printers used multiple wooden blocks, each inked in precise hues and layered to achieve vibrant, nuanced colors. Measuring 14 9/16 x 10 inches, its intimate scale made it accessible to a broad audience, from urban dwellers to collectors. Cats, often symbols of mischief and femininity in Japanese art, add a lively, relatable charm here. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department (gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1985), this piece highlights Yoshitoshi's enduring legacy amid cultural shifts, preserving the poetic beauty of Meiji-era life for modern viewers.

About the Artist

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi · 1839–1892

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was born on April 30, 1839, in the Shimbashi district of Edo, the city that would become Tokyo. At the age of eleven he was apprenticed to Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the great masters of the Japanese woodblock print, who gave the boy the artist name 'Yoshitoshi' as a mark of lineage within the Utagawa School. From Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi absorbed the full tradition of ukiyo-e — th...