February 19, 1473. Nicolaus Copernicus was born on this date, 540 years ago. Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and mathematician. He lived at a time when people believed Earth lay enclosed within crystal spheres at the center of the universe. Can you picture the leap of imagination required for him to conceive of a sun-centered universe? The publication of Copernicus’ book – De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) – just before his death in 1543, set the stage for all of modern astronomy. Today, people speak of his work as the Copernican Revolution.
The uchiwa, or rigid paper fan, is a practical device in the heat of Japan. Over the centuries, uchiwa have become an art form with a charm all their own. The paper prints that are used to make fans are called uchiwa-e, the suffix indicating the print itself.
These are a series of uchiwa, a common print form used by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, not only for prints featuring cats, but others as well. I have not found dates for all of these fans, but those with dates I have come across, usually date to around 1839-1845. For more information on these individual fans, visit this page at the Kuniyoshi Project: Fan Prints of Humorous and Miscellaneous Subjects, Part I