Feline Muse: The Cat in Japanese Art

Join Rhiannon Paget (Curator of Asian Art at at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art) for a discussion of the history and significance of cats in Japanese art.

In 2024, Hello Kitty celebrated her Golden Jubilee as reigning Queen of Japanese Popular Culture since 1974. Since then, Japan’s reputation as a nation of cat-lovers has only grown though the popularity of cat temples, cat islands, cat cafes, and innumerable feline celebrities. However, Japan’s ailurophilia has a much longer history, which is vividly depicted in centuries of Japanese art and visual culture. Depending the context, they may elevate the mood, invite good fortune, prompt the viewer to meditate on a tale, or provide evidence of an unseen world of magic and supernatural happenings.

Host or Publisher Elling Eide Center