Tekst 1804

This open book, printed with woodblocks in Japan, sometime in the late Edo period, reproduces the calligraphy of Jippensha Ikku. Ikku was a writer, best known for his comic travelogue, *Hizakurige*. Such books were central to the popular culture of Edo, present-day Tokyo. The Tokugawa shogunate imposed strict social hierarchies, but a vibrant urban culture emerged nevertheless, centered on the merchant class. Publishers and artists found a ready audience for affordable printed books, which allowed artists to reflect and comment on Japanese society. The institutions that make art possible can also serve to reinforce cultural hierarchies. But here, we see that they also give space to those challenging norms. Art historians use a range of primary resources to explore these aspects of the history of art, including the books and prints themselves, but also archival records of publishers, censorship regulations, and literary criticism. This allows us to understand art as more than just aesthetics.