Eric Ratt, a history professor at the University of Kansas, believes that the anonymous scroll “The Illustrated Rat Tale” (Nezumi no sōshi emaki) is more than just an intriguing artifact.
Created between 1550 and 1650 CE, this document is housed in the Spencer Collection at the New York Public Library. At first glance, the scroll resembles a historical curiosity, depicting rats preparing dishes for a wedding banquet, as reported by Science Alert.
While some researchers consider early Japanese illustrated scrolls to be precursors to the artistic form of manga that flourished in the 20th century, this particular story in pictures contains valuable insights into how food was prepared in medieval Japan.
What Professor Ratt Discovered in the Rat Tale
“Many stories about rats were written in medieval and early modern Japan, and many of them transformed into illustrated scrolls that combined images with text,” the researcher noted.
However, this example is unique in that it meticulously depicts scenes of food preparation. Professor Ratt explained that aside from this document, there is only one other illustrated scroll that showcases culinary processes from that period. “So, as a food historian, I wanted to understand what I could learn from this rat story,” he added.
In Japanese traditions, rats hold a place of honor. These rodents were not symbols of filth and disease, as they are often portrayed in Western traditions. Instead, they were admired for their intelligence and industriousness. They were associated with wealth and good fortune. In folklore, they often took on human characteristics and sometimes became participants in various adventures.
In “The Illustrated Rat Tale,” the king of the rats wishes to take a human bride. However, she is unaware that he is a rat. Thus, he and his entourage must stage a kind of masquerade and wedding banquet worthy of a shogun.
According to Professor Ratt, this scroll offers an intriguing glimpse into the political and social climate of Japan at the time. Moreover, as the researcher emphasized, the banquet preparation scene is rich in exquisite cultural details.
“The way the artists depicted the rats preparing for the banquet provides insight into the division of labor and the working process in the kitchens of elite households in the 16th century, at a time when there were very few other visual sources,” noted Eric Ratt.
“We learn that specially trained male chefs (the rats) performed prestigious tasks, such as slicing meat, while female workers handled manual labor, like grinding rice outside,” the scholar explained.
All the rats have roles and names, and they wear clothing that indicates their social status. Those of lower status are dressed in simple robes and sashes, while higher-status rats don more elaborate attire.
They drink sake and chat, joking about the difficulties of their work. For instance, a rat preparing a swan complains about the strength of its bones. Historical figures, such as the famous tea master Sen no Rikyū, are also depicted as rats.
What’s fascinating about this story is that it positions animals as food producers rather than merely consumers, Professor Ratt said.
Transforming a high-status human household into a colony of rats allows for a glimpse into the lives of the wealthy at that time, about which few were aware.
By showing how the rats prepare food, the authors of the tale offered a subtle irony regarding the elite of the time, unafraid of retribution from human rulers.
And how does this story of rat transformation end? Ultimately, the ruse is uncovered: a few rats fail to maintain their human appearance, and the bride discovers their deception.
Professor Ratt’s article was published in Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture.