Making Ornaments for the Tanabata Festival 1763 - 1783

Isoda Koryūsai created this woodblock print titled 'Making Ornaments for the Tanabata Festival' in Japan during the late 18th century. It depicts two women engaged in the preparations for Tanabata, the Star Festival. Koryūsai was a samurai turned artist, later working in the floating world tradition of Ukiyo-e. This print offers a glimpse into the leisure and cultural activities of women in the Edo period. Note the intricate details of their kimonos and hairstyles, which reflect the fashion trends of the time. The Tanabata Festival, based on a Chinese legend, was a moment for artistic expression, with handwritten wishes decorating bamboo branches. To fully understand the print, historical research would be needed into the social history of festivals in Japan, the history of woodblock printing, and the Ukiyo-e artistic movement. The meaning of art is contingent on these social and institutional contexts.