Het is goed om voor de eerste keer weer te spelen

Totoya Hokkei made this woodblock print titled 'Het is goed om voor de eerste keer weer te spelen’, in Japan during the first half of the 19th century. The print depicts a woman in what appears to be a moment of reflection or anticipation before she plays her shamisen. Her elaborate hairstyle and ornate kimono mark her as a woman of status. The shamisen, a three-stringed musical instrument, was often associated with geishas, and other entertainers in the pleasure districts of Edo-period Japan. Hokkei, a student of the renowned artist Hokusai, captures a specific kind of longing. Her downcast eyes and poised fingers suggest a deep connection to her art, and perhaps a complex emotional landscape beneath the surface. The print gives us an intimate glimpse into the interior life of a woman navigating social expectations and personal expression in 19th century Japan.