Gofuku 

Toyota Hokkei created this image using woodblock printing techniques in 19th century Japan. The print depicts a woman working at a loom. We can read this domestic scene as a comment on the social structures of the time. Textile production in Japan, as elsewhere, was deeply embedded in a social hierarchy. Elaborate textiles and garments like the Gofuku, or kimono, were a marker of status. These were luxury items, beyond the reach of the peasant classes. The print offers a romanticized view of labor and the fashion industry, omitting the harsh realities of manufacturing and consumption in the Japanese economy. Art historians can explore this theme by researching the history of textile production in Japan, examining fashion plates and the socio-economic conditions that shaped artistic production. This reminds us that the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.