Prostitute on parade c. 1766

Suzuki Harunobu created this woodblock print of courtesans around 1768, a period when Edo's floating world thrived. Here, we see women adorned in elaborate kimonos, their garments emblazoned with complex patterns. Consider the fan, a recurring motif in Japanese art, and a symbol of status, power, and, indeed, femininity. It appears across cultures, echoing the flabella of ancient Rome, where fans signified authority. In Harunobu's print, the women hold these fans with a subtle elegance, hinting at a calculated display. There is something inherently performative about their arrangement. We may connect this to the ancient Greek chorus, where gestures and movements were precisely choreographed to convey emotion. This echoes the stylized movements of Kabuki theater, where every gesture is laden with meaning. Notice how these motifs resonate through time, each gesture and symbol imbuing the image with a psychological depth that speaks to our collective understanding of social display.