Thirty-Six Poets 1785 - 1805

This is a woodblock print called Thirty-Six Poets, made by Chōbunsai Eishi in Japan during the Edo period. The print gives us a glimpse into the lives of women of the court during this time, and how class distinctions played out in social settings. In the print, several women in elaborate kimonos gather around a male poet. The poems are printed at the top of the image, seemingly floating above the individuals. While the poems are the focal point of the gathering, the elaborate details of the women’s garments and hairstyles emphasize the roles women played in the Japanese court, where their appearances were equally as important as their intellectual contributions. Notice how the kneeling woman in the bottom left has a bowed head and is positioned lower than the other figures. The artist captures how class and gender dictated one's position and behavior within the court. Though the print ostensibly focuses on poetry, the dynamics between the figures subtly reveal the complexities of identity and power in this historical context.