Three Girls Having Tea 19th century

Nishikawa Sukenobu’s painting, *Three Girls Having Tea,* invites us into a private, gendered world. Created sometime before 1750, it provides an intimate view of women's social lives during the Edo period in Japan. Here, three figures are gathered for a tea ceremony, an occasion that, beyond its ritual, speaks to social status, leisure, and the cultivation of refined skills. Sukenobu, a prominent artist of his time, often depicted women in domestic settings, reflecting and shaping the cultural ideals of femininity. The women are adorned in elaborate kimonos; their attire signals a certain level of affluence. One woman holds a shamisen, a three-stringed instrument, suggesting artistic talents valued in women of the upper classes. Their expressions and interactions evoke a sense of serene domesticity. The painting offers a window into the gendered division of space and the importance of female social networks. It hints at the complexities of women's lives, navigating societal expectations while finding spaces for personal expression and connection.