Details

In White Cat with Red Ruffled Collar (Tama), Takahashi Hiroaki—better known as Shōtei—presents an image of quiet refinement and subtle character. A white cat with a delicate blush of russet fur at the ears and tail reclines against a velvety black backdrop, its golden eyes fixed outward with an air of calm alertness. Around its neck, a bold red ruffled collar adorned with tiny white rings adds a flash of theatrical charm, providing a stark contrast to the pale fur and inky surroundings.

The composition is arrestingly simple yet impeccably balanced. The cat's curving body forms a gentle oval against the square field of black, while every strand of fur is rendered with precision, embossed to enhance both texture and depth. The background—a richly saturated field of matte black—frames the subject in silence, isolating the cat in a world of elegance and contemplation.

Connoisseur's Note

This charming and iconic print was produced by Watanabe Shōzaburō in 1924, at a time when the Shin Hanga movement was flourishing with works that fused Western realism with Japanese design sensibilities. Shōtei, known primarily for his landscapes and atmospheric night scenes, here demonstrates his extraordinary versatility with a subject rarely seen in his broader oeuvre: the domestic cat.

The print’s striking minimalism and compositional clarity align it with contemporary trends in both Japanese and Western decorative arts of the Taishō period. Yet it is the personal touch—the watchful expression, the subtle modeling of form, and the playful ruffle of the collar—that transforms this portrait into a work of quiet intimacy. The cat, likely modeled after a real pet (perhaps even Hiroaki’s own), is named “Tama,” a common and affectionate name in Japan for beloved felines.

Early impressions of this design are prized for the intensity of the black background and the clarity of the red pigment in the collar, both of which are present in this example. The embossed fur details, especially on the flanks and tail, are also exceptionally well preserved, adding to the tactile allure of the piece.

White Cat with Red Ruffled Collar (Tama) stands out in the canon of Shōtei’s work as an example of endearing portraiture and modernist elegance. It is a rare and refined expression of the Shin Hanga era’s ability to elevate the ordinary into the poetic.