Art inspires fashion - Exotic style fashion.
Ukiyo-e (Japanese, meaning "Pictures of the Floating World"). Ukiyo-e depicts and records the life of Japanese people in the Edo period. It represents Japanese art of 17-19 centuries.
Giant Snow Cat
also known as 'Amusements of the First Snowfall'「初雪の戯遊」
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川 國芳) was a great cat lover. As a master designer and painter of ukiyo-e wood block print in the Edo period, he depicted landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, and, specially, cats. It was said that his studio was full of the cats. Kuniyoshi’s love of cats spilled over into his art. Cats appear in many of his finest compositions.
Our website brings together some of his most famous cat-themed prints, as follows:
a. UKy-1, Giant Snow Cat, 「初雪の戯遊」
b. UKy-2, Portrait of Nozarashi Gosuke, 「正札附现金男 野晒悟助」 (The hero wore a kimono with warrior-style skull patterns. Very interestingly, the skull patterns, designed by Kuniyoshi (歌川 國芳), were composed of cats.)
c. UKy-4, The Origin of the Cat Stone, 「東海道五十三次岡部 猫石の由来」 (One of Kuniyosh’s most well-known artwork.)
d. UKy-8, Obsessed with Cats, 「其のまま地口 猫飼好五十三疋」 (Cats Suggested As The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido; actually, the number of cats appears in this triptych print can be counted to 55.)
In this painting “Giant Snow Cat” (初雪の戯遊) it shows several woman play in the first winter snow. They seem concentrated in playing without bothering. There is a huge snow cat that constitutes the main feature of the entire design of the painting.
This work are often referred in Japanese as 「雪だるまならぬ“猫だるま”」 meaning "Cat Daruma, not a snowman", or "Catman, not a snowman". Some authors described this painting as “This triptych displays court ladies showing a giant snow cat to the young prince after the first snow of the year.”
Triptych
Created in 1847-1850 (or 1847-1852)
Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川 國芳; Japanese, 1798–1861)
- Price:$178.00
- Glazed synthetic leather
- Custom-print durable Oxford
- Double rolled handles with 6" drop
- Top zip opening has magnetic snaps on each end
- Silver hardware
- Interior features print lining; back zip pocket; 2 front open slip pockets trimmed in matching leather
- Size: 14"W x 9 1/2"H x 6"D
