Samurai and Courtesan Seated; A Servant Beside Them 1675 - 1695

Sugimura Jihei created this woodblock print titled “Samurai and Courtesan Seated; A Servant Beside Them” around the turn of the 18th century. The print offers insight into the complex social dynamics of Japan's Edo period. Here, the samurai, a symbol of power, is intimately entwined with the courtesan, a figure existing on the margins of society, yet wielding influence through her beauty and wit. Note the servant in the background, perhaps a reference to the rigid hierarchy of the time, but also a reminder of the labor on which such encounters depend. The samurai's sword lays between the figures. Whose power does it represent? Jihei invites us to consider the transient nature of pleasure, the negotiations of status, and the silent stories of those in service. It is a moment suspended, ripe with unspoken narratives. The scene holds both the promise of fleeting connection and the stark realities of societal roles.