Ono no Komachi at Seki Temple, from the series The Fashionable Seven Komachi (Furyu nana Komachi) c. 1615 - 1868

This Japanese woodblock print was created by Chōbunsai Eishi in the late 18th or early 19th century. It’s part of a series reimagining Ono no Komachi, a 9th-century poet, in contemporary settings. Here, three women stand near Seki Temple. Their fashionable attire provides a glimpse into the lives of women in the Edo period. Ono no Komachi, celebrated for her beauty and poetic skill, lived a life that later became shrouded in legend. The series "Fashionable Seven Komachi" plays on this ambiguity, contrasting the historical figure with contemporary ideals of beauty and fashion. The print invites reflection on the ever-changing nature of identity and how historical figures are reinterpreted through the lens of different eras. The artist prompts us to consider how women’s lives and roles have evolved, or perhaps remained unchanged, over centuries. These women, these stories – they are testaments to enduring human experiences.