At the Ise-ya Tea-house 1763 - 1783

Isoda Koryūsai created this woodblock print, “At the Ise-ya Tea-house,” which invites us into a world shaped by the rigid social structures of 18th-century Japan. The artwork depicts two women in a tea house, likely courtesans, in a moment of refined leisure. Koryūsai, moving away from his earlier samurai roots, became known for portraying the daily lives and fashions of women. Yet, these images were not neutral. They navigated the complex intersections of gender, class, and desire. Tea houses were not merely places for refreshment. They were spaces where social hierarchies were both performed and, at times, subtly subverted. The courtesans, while idealized in art, existed within strict societal constraints. Koryūsai’s work, while beautiful, prompts us to consider the lived experiences of these women. Were they participants or performers in the rituals of pleasure and status?