Housecleaning (Susuhaki) c. 1797 - 1799

Curator: Here we have Kitagawa Utamaro's "Housecleaning (Susuhaki)," a woodblock print from the Late Edo period. The print on paper is relatively small, about 37 by 24 centimeters. Editor: My first impression is one of domestic tension, a power dynamic at play. The slumped figure contrasts sharply with the upright women. Curator: The women are tidying up, but it's more than mere cleaning. The prone figure, seemingly a samurai, is being symbolically purged of his status and authority within this domestic space. Editor: Notice the deliberate arrangement of figures and the patterns—the women's kimonos, the dragon on the screen. The image vibrates with cultural symbolism, but also depicts a moment of social disruption. Curator: Indeed, the dragon screen suggests authority while the women challenge the conventional hierarchy, reminding us that homes were sites of social negotiation. Editor: This challenges our modern expectations of gender roles in feudal Japan and speaks to a deeper narrative of agency and resistance. I find this scene particularly compelling. Curator: It’s a quiet subversion, rendered in beautiful detail. We are left to interpret this disruption, connecting the past with our own understanding of societal power structures.