Gotoku-neko, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed label 五徳猫 directly inspected in the enlarged image. A large cat wearing a trivet-like headpiece tends a fire in Sekien’s Gotoku-neko illustration. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
Overview
Gotoku-neko is pictured as a large, shaggy cat crouching beside a hearth. A trivet-like object with projecting supports sits on its head. The cat holds a slender pipe or tube toward the fire, while its other clawed forepaw rests near a small circular object on the matting. A folding screen behind it frames the domestic scene and separates the creature from the surrounding room.
The printed heading 五徳猫 identifies the trivet-associated cat. Its human-like handling of the tube, hearth equipment and headpiece creates the supernatural character rather than an unusual natural feline species. The image securely supports fire-tending behavior in this composition. It does not establish a living cat’s transformation process, an age threshold or a universal regional account; those details require evidence independent of the inspected plate.
Origins & earliest records
Toriyama Sekien, Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro (1784), volume 3; selected named plate directly inspected in the institutional digitization. This is not a claim that an oral tradition began in that year.
Records & interpretation
Printed label 五徳猫, image composition and exact manifest URL directly checked. Explanatory cursive text is not completely transcribed; unverified narrative powers are omitted.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro
Volume 3; IIIF canvas index 11 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV3Tori_0012.jp2. Individually enlarged and inspected.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro
Volume 3; Smithsonian Libraries digitization. IIIF canvas index 11 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV3Tori_0012.jp2
Printed label 五徳猫 directly inspected in the enlarged image. A large cat wearing a trivet-like headpiece tends a fire in Sekien’s Gotoku-neko illustration. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Institutional primary-book recordHyakki Tsurezure Bukuro — institutional volume 3Research access: 2026-10-05
- Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationGotoku-neko (五徳猫) — inspected primary plateResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationGotoku-neko, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed label 五徳猫 directly inspected in the enlarged image. A large cat wearing a trivet-like headpiece tends a fire in Sekien’s Gotoku-neko illustration. Exact URL copied from returned IIIF manifest.
