Print 1690 - 1710

This woodblock print was created by Okumura Masanobu in Japan some time in the first half of the 18th century. It depicts a gathering of women, some of whom are reading or looking at books. The Edo period, when this print was made, was a time of relative peace and economic growth in Japan. A vibrant urban culture developed, and with it new forms of art and entertainment such as kabuki theatre and woodblock prints, which catered to the tastes of the merchant class. This print gives us a glimpse into the lives of women in that society and their engagement with literature and art. The presence of the sword on one of the figures might suggest she is a woman of samurai class. The print could have functioned as a form of advertisement for the artist or the publisher who commissioned it. By studying social and cultural factors such as those, we can develop a richer understanding of the artwork and its place in the world.