Exhibition About Japanese Love of Cats Opens in USA
An exhibition explaining the historical background of cats love in Japan will open on Friday in the New York art gallery of the Japan Society. The exhibition will present more than 50 woodblock prints, paintings, sculptures, and other works from the Edo Period (1615-1867) depicting the sacred animals.
“Nowadays, the Japanese are crazy about cats and that has some historical background,” said Miwako Tezuka, curator of the exhibition.
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In his interview with Cool Hunting, the curator said Chinese Buddhists brought cats to Japan in the 6th century. Cats became an exotic animal and only upper-class people were able to have them as pets. Cats were associated with Buddhism and appreciated as guardians of important scriptures. People started worshiping them, created legends and made them main characters of folk plays and paintings.
The exhibition will be open until April 26th.
