Shunshoku Kogane no Hana [Flowers of Gold: The Colour of Spring]

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Shunshoku Kogane no Hana [Flowers of Gold: The Colour of Spring]

Ryūtei, Tanehiko [III] [text by]; Bōsai [Toda], Shūgetsu [illustrated by].

Kyōbashi, [Tōkyō]: Kyōryūsha, Meiji 17 [1884].

A short novel by Ryūtei Tanehiko III (Takabatake Ransen), illustrated by Toda Shūgetsu with anthropomorphised cats. In his preface, the author pays tribute to celebrated creators of cat-themed literature and art, including Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Santō Kyōzan. The story appears to adapt Neko no Zōshi: after the character Otama repeatedly rejects Kumakichi's advances, he abducts her daughter, Opochi. Following a series of hardships, mother and daughter are ultimately reunited in a happy ending. An amusing feature is the use of motifs associated with cats on the characters' kimono, including abalone shells, cat bells, and koban coins, the latter alluding to the idiom neko ni koban ("gold coins to a cat"; cf. "pearls before swine"). The volume also illustrates the changing physical form of popular literature in the early Meiji period: while the bound-in fukuro envelope, upper wrapper, title, preface, and frontispiece are colour woodblock-printed, the main text is set in movable type. A charming example of the enduring popularity of anthropomorphised cats in Japanese popular literature.

One four-hole-bound (yotsumetoji) volume, complete, on double leaves, traditional East Asian binding style (fukurotoji). Card wrappers pasted over original wrappers, book-envelope bound-in as upper wrapper. Wrappers worn and discoloured, lower section of manuscript daisen title panel lacking. Thumbing, browning, creases, and occasional ink marks and stains internally. Small tear to leaf 19. 47 leaves. 17.8 x 11.8 cm.

Shunshoku Kogane no Hana [Flowers of Gold: The Colour of Spring]
Price: $740.00 (USD)