Playing Battledore and Shuttlecock on New Year's Day c. 1785

Katsukawa Shunchō created this woodblock print titled "Playing Battledore and Shuttlecock on New Year's Day," sometime between 1775 and 1795. During this period, the Tokugawa shogunate enforced rigid social hierarchies, dictating dress and leisure based on class. Shunchō's print offers a glimpse into the lives of women within the elite merchant class. They wear elaborate kimonos, adorned with rich patterns that subtly signaled status and personal identity within the boundaries of permissible expression. New Year's was a moment when these women could gather and momentarily transcend the rigid social expectations. The game of battledore and shuttlecock symbolizes a collective movement towards prosperity, and served as a space to subvert the restricted roles typically enforced upon them. The presence of male figures, however, serves as a reminder of the ever-present societal gaze and the inherent constraints within their celebrations. Shunchō captures a moment that balances personal expression with social conformity. It underscores the complex negotiations of identity within a structured society, evoking both joy and a subtle sense of constraint.