Horse Riders and Harness 1817

This print of horse riders and harnesses was made by Katsushika Hokusai, a printmaker of the Ukiyo-e school in Japan. Produced in a time of relative peace and prosperity under the Tokugawa Shogunate, it speaks to the rising importance of mercantile culture. Woodblock prints like this one were produced for a mass market and reflect the interests of a growing urban class. Note the equestrian culture it depicts. The samurai warrior class was still nominally at the top of the social hierarchy. Yet the image also depicts other social groups. We see grooms attending to horses as well as merchants kneeling, perhaps awaiting the arrival of their master. Prints such as these were not considered 'high art' at the time, but provide us with invaluable evidence today. They reveal the fashion, customs and social relations of Japan in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Studying images like these in their social context allows us to better understand their original meaning and value.