Five Women Who Loved Love (Koshoku gonin onna), Vol. 4 Possibly 1686

Editor: This is a page from "Five Women Who Loved Love, Vol. 4," illustrated by Yoshida Hanbei. The black and white print depicts women in interior spaces, and evokes a sense of quiet observation. What strikes you about this work? Curator: The image invites us to consider the confined roles of women in the context of the Tokugawa period. The women are separated, in boxes; their relationships mediated through interiority and a male figure. How do you think their emotional lives are represented? Editor: I see a contrast between the stillness and the title, "Five Women Who Loved Love." Curator: Exactly. The title hints at desire and passion, while the visual presentation highlights restriction, prompting us to question the social constraints imposed on women and their expressions of love. What do we learn about these women through their containment? Editor: I see how the framing highlights the limitations placed upon these women, versus the boundless idea of "love." Curator: Precisely. It encourages us to examine the intersection of gender, desire, and societal expectations in historical narratives.