(Vine streamer) c. 1854 - 1859

Tanaka Shutei made this woodblock print called, ‘Vine Streamer’ sometime in the mid-19th century. The print combines visual imagery with calligraphy to create meaning. Japanese art of this period often served the interests of the elite, but this print is an interesting commentary on those structures of power. The vine, usually an uncontrolled and wild-growing plant, is here contained within a simple bowl. Is the print suggesting that free spirits are inevitably subdued by social conventions? The calligraphy might contain further clues, but only someone who can read the language of the time could know for sure. As an art historian, I'm fascinated by the way in which institutions shape our understanding of art. If we could understand more about the print’s original context, the artist’s biography, and the cultural significance of the imagery we might better understand its meaning.