Young Woman Holding a Kerria Branch (parody of Ota Dokan) c. 1764 - 1765

Suzuki Harunobu created this woodblock print, "Young Woman Holding a Kerria Branch (parody of Ota Dokan)", during the Edo period, a time of immense social and cultural change in Japan. This print cleverly reimagines a well-known story, replacing the male samurai Ota Dokan with a young woman. The original tale speaks of Dokan, caught in a sudden rain, who requested shelter from a nearby house, only to be offered a branch of kerria—a symbol of poverty—instead of refuge. Harunobu's print gently critiques the rigid social structures of the time by feminizing a symbol of masculine honor and resilience. What does it mean to see a woman in this role? It challenges viewers to reconsider traditional notions of gender and class within the samurai narrative, inviting us to reflect on the diverse experiences and identities of women during the Edo period.