Japanese Prints @ St. Kate's: Selections from the Archives & Special Collections at St. Catherine University

Nostalgic Femininity




 



The prints featured in this exhibition are all products of the Meiji period (1868–1912), a time of massive cultural and institutional transformation in Japanese culture. The era is characterized by rapid westernization brought about after the opening of Japanese ports in 1854 and the subsequent restoration of the Meiji Emperor in 1868. The process of westernization left its mark on the architectural and physical landscape of the country. It also could be seen in the bold fashions of the day, which included bustle dresses and three-piece suits, adorned with western-style umbrellas and top hats.

In light of these swift changes, artists and viewers alike poignantly longed for the traditions and perceived stability of the feudal past. The prints on view by artist Yōshū Chikanobu and his peers deploy the bodies of women as powerful signifiers of tradition. Depicted in bright, synthetic and imported dyes, the women stage nostalgia as they play New Year’s games, watch parades, and enjoy the change of seasons in each other’s company. They appeal to the viewer’s sentimentality, while the real lives and pastimes of the women of Meiji were in a state of flux. Outside of the world depicted in these prints, women were routinely required to balance their responsibility to uphold tradition with their active participation in the new labor economy.

Nostalgic Femininity, together with its companion show, From Flowers to Warriors, in the St. Catherine University Library, questions the role of both nostalgia and gender during this unstable time in Japanese history. How might contemporary anxieties hide within the delicate and ornate beauty of a woman’s kimono? How does the viewer navigate these images—which might look traditional to American eyes—in light of their specific context in modern Japan? These prints explore the ways in which a society tends to pine for the past when threatened by an uncertain future.


 

MIZUNO Toshikata  水野年方
1866–1908

First Warbler: Woman of the Manji Era [1658-1661]
初音 万治頃婦人

From the series Thirty-six Beauties Compared
1893 (Meiji 26)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Two girls observe the seasonal bloom of the plum blossom tree as they celebrate the transition between late winter and spring. One of the girls serenades the perched warbler outside her window with a traditional three-stringed instrument called a shamisen (三味線). Inspired by Fujiwara-no-Kintō’s poetry anthology titled Thirty-six Master Poets, Mizuno Toshikata created this and thirty-five other prints to encompass the customs, manners, and fashions from Japanese ancient times to the Meiji present.


UTAGAWA Kunisada II  歌川国定 二代
Japanese, 1823–1880

Genji at Sugatami Bridge, 12th Month
十二ヶ月源氏の姿見

From the series Twelve Months of Genji
1867 (Keiō 3)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

A woman in a purple kimono crosses Sugatami bridge. She fights the wind and protects herself from the engulfing snow with merely an umbrella. Originally, this print was but one panel in a full triptych that illustrates figures from The Tale of Genji, one of the greatest Japanese literary works and the world’s first novel. The famous work was written by Heian-period lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in the twelfth century.


YŌSAI Nobukazu  楊斎延一
Japanese, 1874–1944

November
十一月

From the series Twelve Months in the Present Day
1891 (Meiji 24)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

A woman teaches the traditional art of a Japanese tea ceremony (sadō, 茶道) to her two young female apprentices against the backdrop of a garden. The blue water and sky contrast with the rich orange glow of Japanese maple trees (momiji, 紅葉). Rather unexpectedly, the top left vignette hints at the modern context of the print with the inclusion of gas lamps that were not introduced to Japan until 1872. The deep red color seen in the carpet is also indicative of new synthetic dyes imported from the West. Yōsai Nobukazu thus carefully blends traditional subject matter with new technologies of the modern age.
 

TOYOHARA Kunichika  豊原国周
Japanese, 1835–1900

Courtesan of Okamoto-ya, no. 7
岡本 葉うた虎之巻 七

From the series How to Master Marginal Songs
1862 (Bunkyū 2)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

A courtesan of House Okamoto leisurely tunes her shamisen.  She is about to play a type of song called hauta (端うた), which was originally performed by blind and amateur musicians in mid-18th century Osaka. She warms her sake and wears loose robes, enjoying the winter landscape outside her window. This print highlights the relaxed atmosphere of the brothel.

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese, 1838–1912

Spring-Colored Garden in Snow
春色園の雪

1879 (Meiji 12)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

While this interior scene lights up in bright spring colors, snow blankets the outside garden and plum blossom tree in late winter. Women engage in music and merrymaking entirely in feminine company. The screen in the background features pheasants amid peonies. Peonies—or the  “king of flowers,” as they were known in East Asia—are associated with spring. They symbolize love and feminine beauty, in addition to wealth and rank. Here, the flower is repeated across the folding screen, several women’s kimonos, and the floral pattern of the floor beneath them. The abundant use of a deep synthetic red is a hallmark of this print and showcases new modern technologies transforming printmaking in the late 19th century.

Click here to view the Triptych, Spring-Colored Garden in Snow
 

UTAGAWA Kunisada I  歌川国定
Japanese, 1786–1864

Three Kinds of Drunks in the Modern World
当世三人上戸

1853 (Kaei 6)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Three women imbibe and enjoy each other's company under the plum blossoms in late winter. The bottle of sake is warmed in a pot hanging from a tree over a fire. Utagawa’s inscriptions describe the various reactions people have when intoxicated. They are, from right to left: the sad drunk (泣き上戸), weeping into her sleeve; the angry drunk (怒り上戸), rolling her sleeve in anticipation; and the merry drunk (笑い上戸), giggling at the others. This humorous tale of the dangers and pleasures of alcohol touches on universal qualities of intoxication in the modern world.

Click here to view the Triptych, Three Kinds of Drunks in the Modern World
 

MIYAGAWA Shuntei  宮川春汀
Japanese, 1873–1914

First Month: Oibane (Battledore & Shuttlecock)
其一 追羽子

From the series Twelve Months of Beauties
1898 (Meiji 31)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

In his series Twelve Months of Beauties, Miyagawa Shuntei showcases the month of January by illustrating a traditional New Year’s game often played by women. The game depicted here, called hanetsuki (羽根突き), is similar to badminton in that it is played with a wooden paddle (hagoita, 羽子板) and a vibrantly colored shuttlecock. The game can be played in two fashions: by one person attempting to keep the shuttlecock aloft as long as possible, or by two people batting it back and forth. In this scene, the woman in the purple kimono failed to keep the shuttlecock aloft. As a rule, her defeat entails receiving a paintbrush mark in India ink on her face. The bystanders on the right giggle at the scenario as the loser is chased by the brush wielder against the backdrop of a barren tree and a tangled kite.

Click here to view the Triptych, First Month: Oibane (Battledore & Shuttlecock)

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese, 1838–1912

Snow in the Park
公園之雪

From the series Customs and Manners of Old Japan (Yamato)
1892 (Meiji 25)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

A group of women enjoys the beauty of freshly laid snow in a temple garden. This print showcases women’s fashion in the Edo period with rich details such as the winter hood (okoso zukin, 御高祖頭巾) and striking, bold patterns such as the polka dots on the left and a purple line-wave pattern on the right. A woman bends down to knock the snow from her sandals (geta, 下駄) and delicately holds the hem of her sleeve in her mouth to prevent it from touching the ground. The intense, red structures of a Buddhist temple visually punctuate the snowy landscape. A five-storied pagoda rises in the background of the right panel.

Click here to view the prints in Snow in the Park
 

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese, 1838–1912

Scattering Gold in the Flourishing Pleasure Quarter: Tamagiku and Kinokuniya Bunzaemon
全盛廓の黄金撒キ 玉菊 紀の国屋文左衛門

1886 (Meiji 19)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

In a lively winter scene, Kinokuniya Bunzaemon, a successful merchant of the Edo period, scatters money upon the floor.  Women and children tumble about the brothel trying to grab their share as Courtesan Tamagiku sits off to the right with an amused expression. Bystanders, intrigued by the commotion, look on in curiosity. A grouping of stacked rice cakes (kagami mochi, 鏡餅), topped with a lobster decoration behind Tamagiku, hint at the coming of a New Year.

Click here to view the Triptych, Scattering Gold in the Flourishing Pleasure Quarter: Tamagiku and Kinokuniya Bunzaemon

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese, 1838–1912

Depiction of an Official Hearing at Fukiage
於吹上公事上聴ノ図

From the series Chiyoda Outer Palace (Chiyoda Central Office)
1897 (Meiji 30)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
 

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Two high-ranking shogunal concubines present a case to an official and his retainers at Fukiage, a manor in the private sector of Edo Castle. The beauty in the center dons an elegantly patterned red outer kimono with Japanese cranes dancing above crashing waves. Her black obi (帯), a broad sash worn around the waist of a Japanese kimono, features a dynamic golden dragon. She kneels down on a bamboo tatami mat atop a rocky surface before the male officials on the veranda. Yōshū Chikanobu shows off his attention to fine detail by delicately embossing the white crane and burnishing the black parts of the obi. The print offers a behind-the-scenes look at courtly life and politics prior to Japan’s modernization.

Click here to view the Triptych, Depiction of an Official Hearing at Fukiage
 

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese,1838–1912

Cherry Blossom Viewing
御花見

From the series Customs of the Inner Palace of Chiyoda Castle
1894 (Meiji 27)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

With Mt. Fuji looming in the distant background, sixteen women of the Tokugawa court enjoy cherry blossoms (sakura, 桜) on a spring day. Their court affiliation is apparent through the clan seal (mon, 紋) printed on their umbrellas in the pattern of three hollyhock leaves. On the left, women can be seen giggling and clapping as they play a game of tag (onigokko, 鬼ごっこ). On the right, three women walk and converse under a shared umbrella beneath the pale pink blossoms of flowers in full bloom.

Click here to view the Triptych, Cherry Blossom Viewing

YŌSHŪ Chikanobu  楊洲周延
Japanese, 1838–1912

Parading of the Mochi (Rice Cakes)
鏡餅ひき

From the series Customs of the Inner Palace of Chiyoda Castle
1895 (Meiji 28)
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Courtesy of St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

A New Year’s festival procession unfolds before five court ladies who watch excitedly as a float of giant stacked rice cakes (kagami mochi, 鏡餅) passes in front of them. Kagami mochi is a popular New Year’s decoration that symbolizes the coming and going of years. The orange on top represents the continuation of a family from generation to generation. Two generations of court ladies observe the parade dancers, who are adorned with auspicious New Year’s symbols, such as a lobster hat and a mythical tengu mask. The three observers on the right are the oldest of the five women, while the two girls in the center are between five and twelve years of age. The two girls wear their hair in a chigo-mage (稚児髷) style, a youthful style based on what boys wore in the 16th century Momoyama and Azuchi eras.  

Click here to view the Triptych, Parading of the Mochi (Rice Cakes)


HASEGAWA Takejirō  長谷川 武次郎
Japanese, 1853–1938

SUZUKI Kason  鈴木華邨
Japanese, 1860–1919

The Smiling Book
ザ・スマイリング・ブック

1897 (Meiji 30)
Crepe-paper book; polychrome woodblock prints;
ink and color on paper

Courtesy of the Evelyn Goodrow Mitsch Collection in the St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Publisher Hasegawa Takejirō collaborated with woodblock print artist Suzuki Kason to create this crepe-paper book. The interior and exterior of the books produced by Hasegawa were covered in colorful woodblock-printed illustrations, and the textured pages were attractive to foreigners arriving in the treaty port of Yokohama and neighboring Tokyo. Hasegawa first published his crepe-paper works in English with follow-up editions in languages such as German and Portuguese. The Smiling Book is filled with English-language poetry from sources such as Shakespeare, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Helen Leavenworth Herrick, Nellie G. Cone, and others. The vivid natural imagery speaks to a nostalgic idea of Japan re-packaged for a foreign audience.


Hina Doll Display
雛飾り

c. 1985
Mixed media including porcelain, cloth, and wood
Donated by Sr. Irmina Kelehan

Courtesy of the St. Catherine University Archives & Special Collections

Hina Matsuri (雛祭り), also known as the Dolls’ Festival or Girls’ Day, has been celebrated in Japan since the Edo period (1603–1868). Now celebrated annually on March 3rd, the third day of the third month has long been associated with purification rituals involving dolls. Spiritual impurities and unhappiness were transferred to the bodies of paper dolls and washed away in running water. Historically, dolls have also served as charms for children’s good luck and health. In the early seventeenth century, the mother of Empress Meishō displayed dolls within the palace for the seventh birthday of the young empress, and other wealthy families followed suit. In 1644, dolls were given to Chiyohime, the shogun’s daughter, for her seventh birthday on the third day of the third month, helping to further solidify the date of the holiday. The tradition spread quickly, with sumptuary laws attempting to restrict the size and lavishness of the dolls during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. By 1770, Hina Matsuri became a national holiday, which it remained until 1874, and it is still celebrated throughout Japan today.

During Hina Matsuri, dolls are arranged on tiered shelves, which generally have three, five, or seven levels resembling a Japanese court. The top shelf holds the Emperor and Empress, the second the ladies in waiting, the third the court musicians, and the fourth the guards. The fifth step generally contains three footmen, or drunkards, though in this set they have been perhaps falsely labeled as “ministers.” Orange and cherry blossom trees flank the footmen, symbolizing spring. The sixth step holds furniture and the seventh displays items that would be used for travel outside the palace, such as an oxcart or a palanquin. The exact configuration of the dolls varies based on family and regional traditions. The dolls are not meant to be played with. Instead, during Hina Matsuri, young girls invite their friends to celebrate by eating holiday foods together while admiring the dolls.

Meiji-period artists such as Yоshū Chikanobu (pictured below) and Miyagawa Shuntei, both featured in Nostalgic Femininity, depicted the Hina Matsuri in their prints. (by Rose Winter MLIS '22).

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