Nine women playing the game of fox 

This folding screen was made by Katsushika Hokusai in Japan, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts nine women engaged in a game that was known as fox. This piece is interesting because of what it tells us about the activities of women within Japanese society at this time. Although Hokusai is best known for his woodblock prints depicting landscapes and scenes of everyday life, works like this offer a glimpse into the leisure activities of upper-class women. The elaborate kimonos and carefully arranged hairstyles are visual markers of status and wealth. Elements such as the sake cups, musical instruments and other luxury objects scattered around the scene suggest an environment of refined entertainment. To fully understand this artwork, a historian would likely consult a variety of sources, from fashion history to the social rituals of the Edo period. The meaning of art is always contingent on its historical context, and it’s through careful research that we can gain a deeper appreciation of its significance.