Utagawa Kunisada II (二代歌川国貞) (artist 1823 – 1880)

Mitsuuji watching a white cat delivering a love letter - A Rustic Genji theme - [Mitsuuji to sakura fuguruma hakubyō no zu: 光氏と桜・文車・白猫の図]

Print

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Date:ca 1851 – 1852
Dimensions:30 in x 14 in (Overall dimensions) Medium:color woodblock print; ōban triptych
Inscription:Signed (on the left):Baichōrō Kunisada hitsu (梅蝶楼国貞筆)
Signed: (on the right): Kunisada ga (国貞画)
Signed: (in the center): Nidai Kunisada (二代国貞画)
Publisher: Amatsu (Marks U004 - seal not listed)
Censors: Hama & Magome
Links Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Waseda University
Victoria and Albert Museum - the center panel only Description:This image is based on the work of Ryutei Tanehiko and his Rustic Genji. Here the Third Princess, seen on the right, has given a love letter to her cat to deliver to the handsome Kashiwagi, seated near the cat.

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Another copy of this triptych was featured in the Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection at the Japan Society from March 13 to June 7, 2015.

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The fur of the white cat is embossed.

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What is the fuguruma (文車 - ふぐるま) of the title?

The fuguruma was a sort-of bookmobile or a writing desk on wheels which also might carry some books. It could be pulled around a home for convenience sake. Of course, since it often was loaded with ehon or books it showed the level of literacy within that household. Pulled by a cord, it was not only convenient for moving things about, but it was also something that might be easier to use in case of a disaster like a fire. Often these were elaborately decorated with special lacquer techniques that only the wealthiest families could afford. The one featured in this triptych was even designed to look like an ox-cart that might be used to transport a nobleman or even a princess. Notice the faux-blinds on the side. But in this case the precious cargo would be books.

Over the years, in the early 19th century, a number of artist's designed surimono that showed and/or made references to fuguruma. One is by Gakutei from 1817,

It is good
when there are many
books on a book cart

okute
yoki ba
fuguruma no fumi

おほくて
よきは
文車のふみ

One poem on that Gakutei print is by Shōzantei Okunari. It reads:

Pulling out books
from the book cart,
but then again, this is
genuinely interesting:
the song of the warbler
- Shōzantei Okunari

fuguruma no
fumi hikidashite
kore wa mata
jitsu ni omoshiroki
uguisu no uta

文車の
ふみ引出して
これは又
しつにおもしろき
鴬の歌
- 松山亭奥成

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This triptych is listed but not illustrated in Andreas Marks Genji's World in Japanese Woodblock Prints. It appears at G#347.
Related entities Genji related prints (Genji-e - 源氏絵) (genre)
Amatsu (天津) (publisher)

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