Parody of courtly insect hunt c. 1791 - 1792

Chōbunsai Eishi made this woodblock print, sometime in the late 1700s, that's currently held at the Art Institute of Chicago. This Japanese artwork depicts a group of women participating in an insect hunt. In the Heian period, insect hunts were popular among courtiers, as a pastime for poetry writing. The image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references. The insect hunt was a symbol of social status and cultural refinement, but Chōbunsai Eishi's print parodies this tradition. The women are dressed in elaborate kimonos, but their poses are awkward. The insects they are hunting appear oversized, undermining the seriousness of the activity. This artwork is a commentary on the social structures of its time, and it challenges the traditional institutions of art by poking fun at the conventions of courtly life. To understand this artwork better, we can turn to historical records and research the social and cultural context of Japan.