An Inkstone and a Silver Cat
- woodblock print on paper
-
8.4 x 7.5 in
(21.34 x 19.05 cm)
- Totoya Hokkei
This print features objects relating to the wandering Zen priest and poet Saigyo, such as a plum branch he admired, and an inkstone and hat that reference him. A sculpture of a catsitting on a red lacquer stand refers to the silver cat Saigyo received for sharing his knowledge of the military arts to the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. As Saigyo was loyal to the emperor, he considered sharing knowledge with the shogun to contradict his support for the emperor so he gave the sculpture away. The poems surrounding the objects relate to spring and auspicious signs.
- Created: 1823
- Attribution: Frank Lloyd Wright Collection at Taliesin West
- Collections: Taliesin West Surimono Collection