Hour of the Snake 1794

Kitagawa Utamaro created the woodblock print, Hour of the Snake, as part of a series called "Twelve Hours in the Green Houses." Utamaro lived during the Edo period, when Japanese society was highly stratified and art was often used to reflect or subvert social norms. Here, Utamaro presents us with a glimpse into the lives of women working in the pleasure districts of Edo-period Japan. The ‘Green Houses’ were euphemistically used to refer to licensed brothels, and the series offers intimate portraits of women’s lives within these spaces. The print depicts two women, one kneeling with a tea set and the other standing, drying herself with a cloth. "Hour of the Snake" offers a tender look at the quiet moments in these women's lives, while also subtly commenting on the commercial and social structures that shaped their experiences. Utamaro challenges conventional portrayals, inviting viewers to contemplate the complex realities of those who lived and worked in Japan's pleasure districts.