Twenty-four Japanese examples of filial piety for the Honchôren c. 1821

Yashima Gakutei created this print, "Twenty-four Japanese examples of filial piety for the Honchôren," sometime in the 18th or 19th century. The composition is divided into distinct planes. The foreground features a kneeling figure, meticulously rendered in contrasting greens and blues, performing a ritualistic act. Behind him, a low table displays symbolic objects, sharply delineated against the backdrop of a raised platform where two seated figures observe, their forms simplified and ethereal. The background is marked by a geometrically patterned screen, its intricate design providing a stark contrast to the figures. The print’s structure invites a semiotic reading, where the arrangement of figures and objects functions as a system of signs. Here, the artist destabilizes the traditional representation of filial piety. The figures are reduced to essential forms, suggesting a focus on the structural and symbolic elements of the narrative rather than sentimental expressions. This print engages with historical and philosophical concerns, specifically challenging conventional artistic and social hierarchies.