Woodblock Prints

Women Grating Radish for Sashimishows the gender dynamic during the Edo period, depicting the everyday life of ordinary women, belonging in the kitchen. The two women in the print can be seen preparing for a meal and cleaning utensil. They’re very focused on the manual task at hand. The position of their body can be a representation of their ranking in the household. The woman that is cleaning the glass and looking down at the woman preparing the food, shows a sign of higher status. This woman cleaning the glass is most likely the head woman of the house. The woman that is being looked down upon and preparing the food most likely has a position at the very bottom or near the bottom in the household. Because they’re personally doing domestic work without servant helps and the style of their clothing, it seem to suggest that they belong to the middle to lower class in society. Households and families of higher classes with more economic wealth and income would not need to have their family members clean and cook food, but would most likely higher someone else to perform the tasks for them while they engage in luxurious activity. Compared to earlier arts, this is a shift away from religious art subjects to more secular ones with a focus on naturalism and the every-day, hinting at religion having less influence in society. This “every-day life” of woman that’s being painted is not a very happy one. For the expression of the woman squatting down is white sad. It’s as if she’s done with the mundane task of grating radish or doing chores altogether. All the focus seem to be on her for the other woman gaze drawn toward her, drawing the viewer’s eye to the woman that is squatting.

Although the print portrays the influx of foreigners in Japan after the opening of Japanese port to Americans, social class and gender can be seen at work in this print. In the print, women are the one providing entertainment and food, while primarily the men and (Western) women are enjoying themselves to the lavish environment. The room is evidently not Japanese style by the existence of gold chandelier and glass windows. Plus, Japanese lifestyle was mostly on the floor not on chairs or table, as the painting include red table and modernize chairs. Foreigners men are seen drinking and entertained by Japanese women dressed in kimono. Foreign people are distinguished by their western style of clothing (suits, jackets, and hats) as well as their look feature. Foreign women are seen playing musical instruments (flute and violin) in their western clothes. This print reinforces the status quo, that women are the below men and are supposed to serve them. The western woman, who is sitting on the table, is an exception because of her social location. She’s from a western country and is wealthy (judging from her clothing and her association with the men). It’s not just gender that determined one place in society but also other factors such as social status. For the man on the right isn’t of the same status as other man because he’s a man, he’s of lower status because of his social location (a chinese help). This demonstrate the intersectionally between gender and social class, for it goes hand in hand in determining a person’s status in society. There’s clearly a divide between social class in this print, for the wealthy Westerner are at the left, while the Japanese helps are all in the right, providing entertainment and services. This also shows the wealth and power of japan compared to the West.

 

This Nihon Bashi print show the busy traffic of the "Bridge of Japan" in Nihonbashi, which is situated in the center of Edo. Showing the everyday life of fishermen delivering their fish to a fish market. It’s all men that are carrying fish, while the women are on the sideline observing the whole procession (of fisherman walking). Their position on the sideline represents a kind of submissiveness of the women. In contrast to a majority of men, only five women appear in this print, showing not only the gender dynamic but also the role of women, in that women were perceived to be too weak to do hard labor (such as fishing). It’s the man who is the breadwinner of the household. It is he who feed the nation. Women are not doing anything to contribute except just being there, while the men carry the responsibility of hard labor. The men are seen carry some extremely materials with no help whatsoever. It doesn’t just reinforce the notion of gender role for female but male as well. Men are the one who are suppose to be strong and providing figure rather than a weak female figure person, who have a lot of free time to spare. Additionally the clothing of the man and woman in this print also symbolized gender stereotype. The men are all seen wearing short, exposing their leg, while the woman are all covered up (from head to toe). The sexualization of the body apparently only applies to women during the Edo (and even today). That showing skin suggest a seductive woman like courtesan and geisha. So, a woman must be modest and covers herself up. Overall, a woman of good social class must be modest both in behavior and how she dress herself. A man however is excused from this rule, for he can do as please.

 

Woodblock Prints