The Spectral Cat (Kito Tenno / Bakeneko)
One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu) - Plate 2
One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Villagers restrain a shape-shifting ghost-cat; Kyōsai taps yokai lore to fuse dread and farce in miniature.
Kawanabe Kyōsai
Woodblock print, ca. 1863–1866
From the series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Format: individual sheet from the original bound edition
Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市)
Dimensions: approx. 13 × 18 cm
Medium: polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e), printed on handmade washi paper
Edition & Printing Details
This print belongs to the first edition of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, published by Wakasaya Yoichi between 1863–1866.
Binding holes along the right edge indicate inclusion in an early bound volume.
Genre and Significance
Genre: satirical matsuri-e, grotesque religious parody, oni-themed fantasy
Style: anti-authoritarian realism, post-ukiyo-e grotesquerie
Significance: rare early example of Kyōsai’s critique of spectacle, ritual, and hierarchy
Market rarity: high — especially for first-edition sheets in strong condition
Note
This description is part of an evolving research project. Very few collections of this kind exist worldwide, and each newly studied sheet refines our understanding of the series. The catalogue will be continuously updated and expanded — leaving room for fresh interpretations, new connections, and unexpected discoveries that keep the collection alive and intriguing.
Kawanabe Kyōsai
Woodblock print, ca. 1863–1866
From the series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Format: individual sheet from the original bound edition
Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市)
Dimensions: approx. 13 × 18 cm
Medium: polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e), printed on handmade washi paper
Edition & Printing Details
This print belongs to the first edition of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, published by Wakasaya Yoichi between 1863–1866.
Binding holes along the right edge indicate inclusion in an early bound volume.
Genre and Significance
Genre: satirical matsuri-e, grotesque religious parody, oni-themed fantasy
Style: anti-authoritarian realism, post-ukiyo-e grotesquerie
Significance: rare early example of Kyōsai’s critique of spectacle, ritual, and hierarchy
Market rarity: high — especially for first-edition sheets in strong condition
Note
This description is part of an evolving research project. Very few collections of this kind exist worldwide, and each newly studied sheet refines our understanding of the series. The catalogue will be continuously updated and expanded — leaving room for fresh interpretations, new connections, and unexpected discoveries that keep the collection alive and intriguing.