Kajita Hanko (梶田半古) (artist 1870 – 1917)
Illustration to Fontaine fable of belling the cat (Choix de fables de La Fontaine illustrées par un groupe des meilleurs artistes de Tokio sous la direction de P. Barboutau)
1894
13 in x 9.75 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Hankō (半古)
International Research Center for Japanese Studies
Bibliothèque nationale de France - (this site includes the full volume)
Tūhura Otago Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand From the Fables Choisies De La Fontaine. The publisher was Ernest Flammarion. Jean de la Fontaine (ラ・フォンテーヌ), a Frenchman, lived from 1621-95. This print in the Lyon Collection is from the 12th fable, 'Conseil tenu par la rats'.
Two volumes. 28 double page colour woodcuts. Choix de fables illustrated by Kajita Hankō (梶田半古), Kano Tomonobu (狩野友信: 1843-1912), Okakura Shūsui (岡倉秋水), Kawanabe Kyosui (河鍋暁翠: 1868-1935) and Eda Mahiko (枝貞彦), under the direction of Pierre Barboutau (馬留武黨: 1862-1916). The carver was Kimura Tokutarō (木村徳太郎: 1842-1906).
There are more illustrations in this publication by Hankō than any other artist, including the covers for both volumes, even though both volumes used the same image.
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There are copies of this two volume set at the British Museum, but it is unillustrated online. There is another set in the Rijksmuseum, too.
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The full collection is referenced in Japanese Prints V - The Age of Yoshitoshi/Rijksprentkabinet, pp. 90-91.
One of the best-known books printed and designed in Japan, but intended for a western market. Hillier, 1987, p. 956, calls it 'the curious hybridization of this interweaving of two cultures', but it can be argued that the fables of Fontaine, with their animals playing all too human roles, might as well be Japanese as French. Volume I, 1894 with illustrations by Kajita Hanko, Kawanabe Kiyōsui (the daughter of Kyōsai); Kanō Tomonobu and Eda Sadashiko.****
Volume II, 1894 with illustrations by the same artists as above and Okakura Shiusui.
What about belling the cat?
Below is an English translation of this tale which we found at Huffington Post. It was placed there in an article about the Harvey Weinstein scandal by Mina Samuels.
A cat, named Rodilardus, was wreaking such havoc with the rats that you barely ever saw a rat anymore: he had put so many in their graves. The few rats who were left, didn’t dare leave their holes, and found only a quarter as much as they needed to eat. For their miserable race, Rodilardus was more devil than cat.
Then one day the gallant set off far and wide in search of a wife. During the festivities with his new lady, the surviving rats held a meeting in a little corner to address their pressing problem. No sooner had the meeting started than their leader, a very thoughtful individual, opined that what they must do, and sooner rather than later, was attach a bell around Rodilardus’ neck. That way, when he came to wage war on them, they would be warned and could get below ground. This was the only solution, their leader said. Everyone was in agreement. Nothing seemed more efficacious.
The difficulty arose around attaching the bell.
One said: I’m not doing it. I’m not that dumb.
Another: I wouldn’t know how.
And around in circles they went. So much so, that they all left the meeting without deciding on any action.
I have seen numberless such meetings whose outcome was nothing. Meetings, not of rats mind you, but of monks, or let’s say meetings of priests.
If it’s only deliberations, everyone has an opinion about what to do.
Comes the time to take action; no one is to be found.
picture book (ehon - 絵本) (genre)
Meiji era (明治時代: 1868-1912) (genre)