Dongfang Shuo (Tohosaku), from the series "Lives of Taoist Immortals Parodied by Courtesans - A Series of Seven (Keisei mitate ressenden, nanaban no uchi)" c. 1821 - 1822

This Japanese woodblock print by Yashima Gakutei, titled "Dongfang Shuo," presents a fascinating interplay of symbols, created sometime between the late 18th and mid-19th century. The figure in the print is a courtesan embodying Dongfang Shuo, a legendary Taoist immortal. Her elaborate kimono is adorned with cloud patterns, a motif often associated with transcendence and the realm of the immortals. The clouds connect her with the divine while the snake on the bottom of the dress, a symbol of transformation, is also a phallic representation of the male figure she is impersonating. This interplay introduces a tension between the sacred and the profane. Consider how cloud imagery appears in other artworks, such as Renaissance paintings, where clouds often carry angels. The adoption of cloud motifs from religious art into secular and even satirical contexts highlights how cultural symbols are continuously reinterpreted across time. This print, a playful parody, taps into our collective memory, revealing how symbols evolve, carrying echoes of their past while adapting to new cultural landscapes.