Party of falconers near river c. 1798 - 1801

Utagawa Toyohiro created this diptych titled, Party of falconers near river in the late 18th or early 19th century using woodblock print techniques. As one of the leading artists of the Utagawa school, Toyohiro navigated the complex social and political landscape of the Edo period. The work depicts a group of women, some armed with swords and one mounted on horseback, participating in falconry, a hunting sport traditionally reserved for the samurai class. This subverts the traditional roles of women who are usually excluded from the military and ruling classes. We see how class and gender intersect. Such prints were not merely decorative; they served as cultural documents, reflecting and shaping societal ideals, and providing commentary on the shifting roles and representations of women in Japanese society. They offer a window into the lives and aspirations of women during a transformative period in Japanese history. Consider the blend of tradition and transgression that characterizes this work, reflecting both the constraints and the quiet revolutions of its time.