Right-Tsuki-- c. 18th century

Okumura Masanobu made this woodblock print in Japan in the first half of the 18th century. It depicts a woman holding a netsuke, a small toggle used to fasten a pouch or container to a kimono sash. The print provides a glimpse into the social and economic transformations of the Edo period, when a merchant class was emerging with its own cultural tastes. Woodblock prints like these found a wide audience among this new urban population. They helped to shape fashions and promote cultural ideals. The artist, Okumura Masanobu, was not only an artist but also a publisher and bookseller. His entrepreneurial activities reflect the growing commercialization of art and culture at the time. In understanding art's place in society we can ask: How did the institutions of art and commerce shape its creation and reception? What social functions did art serve for its audience? Investigating these questions, through sources like historical records, helps us to understand the complex interplay between art, culture, and society.