Rules for the Department of Young Ladies (Shōgaku Joreishiki zukai) c. late 19th century

Curator: This is "Rules for the Department of Young Ladies," a woodblock print by Adachi Ginkō. It’s fascinating to see how gender and social norms were visually encoded. Editor: It has a very formal feel, almost like a manual, divided into two distinct scenes, indoor and outdoor. I'm struck by how consciously composed everything is. Curator: The composition is really deliberate. Notice the upper scene depicts young women in a garden setting, engaging in polite interactions, while the lower scene shows them practicing domestic arts indoors. Editor: The outdoor scene, with its bright cherry blossoms and bowing figures, seems to emphasize outward grace and social etiquette. Is that a hint of the expected subservience there? Curator: Precisely! And that's juxtaposed with the interior, which prioritizes skills for managing the home. Both are equally weighted, equally valuable to a young woman's success. Editor: It's quite a compact little world, isn't it? The way Ginkō has framed these women, their duties, within these specific environments, it feels almost performative, even today.