Kobayashi Ikuhide

Kobayashi Ikuhide 小林幾英 (active c. 1880-1898)

BIOGRAPHY

Source: The Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints, Amy Reigle Newland, Hotei Publishing Company, 2005, p.505.

Tokyo print designer. A student of Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904), he produced a number of prints dealing with manners and customs, famous views (meishō), toy prints (as seen below), as well as war prints and kabuki actor prints.

Other art names (gagō): Hikitei (飛幾亭), Shinbitei (箴飛亭). Name sometimes seen as Utagawa Ikuhide (歌川幾英).

新板猫のたわむれ

New Edition, Cats at Play, 1884

36.5 x 23.5 cm

Portraying anthropomorphic cats engaging in various street performances such as acrobatics and lion dancing, with parent and child cats enthusiastically watching. The text contains lines of cat dialogue and musical notations in this lively and playful print.