edo teach.

qxd4

12/9/98

10:42 AM

Teaching Program

Page 1

Edo
a r t i n j a p a n 1615 1868

national gallery of art, washington

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:42 AM

Page 2

The exhibition
Edo: Art in Japan 1615 1868
is made possible by NTT
Exhibition dates:
15 November 1998 through
15 February 1999

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:42 AM

Page 1

Edo
Art in Japan 1615 1868

Teaching Program

National Gallery of Art, Washington

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:42 AM

Page 2

acknowledgments

notes to the reader

This teaching program was written for the

The Japanese government has designated

education division by Christine Guth, an inde-

numerous works of art as National Treasures,

pendent scholar. Since receiving her Ph.D. in

Important Cultural Properties, or Important Art

Fine Arts from Harvard University in 1976, she

Objects because of their artistic quality, historic

has taught at institutions such as Harvard,

value, and rarity. Several works with these des-

Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania.

ignations are included in this publication.

Her recent publications include Art, Tea, and

Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Dimensions are in centimeters, followed by

(Princeton, 1993) and Art of Edo Japan: The Artist

inches in parentheses, height preceding width,

and the City, 16151868 (New York, 1996).

and width preceding depth.

Concept development and teaching activities

Cover: Watanabe Shik, Mount Yoshino, early

by Anne Henderson, Heidi Hinish, and Barbara

eighteenth century, detail from a pair of six-

Moore.

panel screens; ink, color, and gold on paper,

Private Collection, Kyoto

Thanks to Leo Kasun, Elisa Patterson, Ruth

Perlin, Renata Santanna, Takahide Tsuchiya,

Title page: Dish with radish and waves design,

and Susan Witmer for their assistance with

c. 1680s 1690s, Nabeshima ware porcelain,

this project.

Imaemon Museum of Ceramic Antiques, Saga

Produced by Donna Mann.

Copyright 1998. All rights reserved.

Designed by Carol Beehler.

Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art,

Washington

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:42 AM

Page 3

contents

Edo: Art in Japan 1615 1868

Edo Style

Samurai

Work

10

15

19

Religion

Travel

28

23

Entertainment

Glossary

Chronology

33

39

40

Activities 42

Further Reading

Slide List

46

44

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:42 AM

Page 4

edo: art in japan 1615 1868

he Edo period (1615 1868)

ment. The emperor was a figurehead

saw the flowering of many

who commanded no political author-

forms of cultural expression,

ity, but his approval was necessary

both colorful and boisterous, muted

to legitimize the shogun. By putting

and restrained, that we think of today

in place a highly centralized admin-

as typically Japanese. These include

istrative organization and strictly

kabuki and no drama, the tea cere-

controlling Japans contacts with

mony (see fig. 1), the martial arts,

other countries, Ieyasu and fifteen

woodblock prints, and porcelain. This

successive generations of Tokugawa

culturally diverse and extraordinarily

shogun ensured peace and stability

vibrant period gets its name from the

for an unprecedented two and a

city of Edo, now known as Tokyo,

half centuries.

which became the seat of the govern-

figure 1

The Tokugawa rulers exercised

ment when Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542

authority through their roughly 250

1616) unified the country after a cen-

feudal vassals, known as daimyo, to

tury and a half of warfare.

whom they granted fiefs throughout

The Tokugawa regime was for-

the country. In return, these feudal

Nonomura Ninsei (d. 1695),

mally established in 1603, when the

lords were expected to lend military

Tea bowl with crescent moon

emperor, in recognition of Ieyasus

assistance when required, to serve the

and waves design, c. 1656,

supremacy on the battlefield,

shogun in various administrative

appointed him shogun, the highest

capacities, and to provide ceremonial

12.5 (4 7/8), Tokyo National

rank in the military order, and the

entertainments and gifts. Their fiefs

Museum

titular head of the military govern-

were strategically allocated to keep

stoneware with polychrome

overglaze enamels, diameter

potentially dangerous rivals as far

from Edo as possible. To ensure that
they did not establish provincial
power bases that might challenge
shogunal authority, the daimyo had to
spend alternate years in residence in
Edo. Even when they returned home,
they had to leave wives and family as
hostages in Edo.
By 1720 Edo, the nations administrative capital, had a population of
more than one million inhabitants
exceeding that of London or Paris at
the time. Kyoto, a city of temples and
shrines, the residence of the emperor,
and the leading center of arts and
crafts production, had a population of
close to 400,000. Osaka, popularly
known as the nations kitchen
because it was the hub of rice trade

4 Edo: Art in Japan

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 5

figure 2

and shipping, also had around 400,000

make Japan one of the most urban-

inhabitants. These metropolises,

ized countries in the world (see fig. 2).

along with the smaller cities and

The growth of a money economy

towns that sprang up across the

and resulting concentration of wealth

Japanese archipelago, combined to

in the urban setting led to a dramatic

Edo: Art in Japan 5

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 6

shift in cultural power over the course

ative weavers, dyers, and designers to

of the Edo period. Although the ruling

supply her luxurious, trendsetting

warrior or samurai class was at the

wardrobe.

pinnacle of the social hierarchy, followed by farmers, artisans, and mer-

towns and cities, more than eighty

chants, its members were largely

percent of the population continued

dependent on fixed stipends from rice

to make a living by farming. Rice was

production. The same was true of the

the dominant crop, but to supplement

court nobility and clergy. The money-

this, many farmers began to diversify,

based income of merchants and arti-

planting cash crops such as cotton,

sans, on the other hand, was variable

rapeseed, or tobacco and producing

and therefore more responsive to

goods such as cotton fabrics. The eco-

inflationary pressures. Although polit-

nomic benefits of these developments

ical power was monopolized by the

enabled some farmers to acquire

samurai, artisans and merchants

wealth enough to devote themselves

vastly outnumbered them and

to cultural pursuits such as poetry,

became more affluent and influential

painting, and calligraphy, previously

as patrons of the arts.

enjoyed only by the urban elite.

Through their enthusiastic sup-

Literati painters such as Ike Taiga

port of visual and performing arts,

(1723 1776) and Yosa Buson (1716

such as woodblock prints and kabuki

1783) traveled to rural areas to provide

theater, this new urban economic

instruction as well as to find new

elite had a lasting impact on the dis-

markets for their work.

tinctive cultural style of the Edo

A nationwide system of roadways

period. But traditional patterns of

and waterways fostered communi-

patronage did not disappear. The

cation, commerce, and cultural

samurai class required a wide range

exchange between city and country.

of paintings and other arts to decorate

Traffic went both ways. Urban fash-

their residences. To fill these needs,

ions were quickly taken up in the

they retained hereditary lineages of

provinces, and rural folk paintings

artists, such as the Kano school of

and textiles found favor in the cities.

painters, whose themes and styles

This flow of culture between the

dictated official taste of the period.

metropolis and the periphery

Religious institutions employed car-

enriched the lives of individuals and

penters to build new halls and sculp-

fostered the growth of shared cultural

tors, painters, and other craftsmen to

values throughout the Japanese

fill them. Members of the imperial

islands.

family, though financially dependent

6 Edo: Art in Japan

Despite the phenomenal growth of

There was also regular, if carefully

on the shogunate, also continued

controlled, trade with China, Korea,

to support the arts. Following her

and the West, primarily through the

marriage to Emperor Gomizunoo in

southern port of Nagasaki. The

1620, Tfukumonin (1607 1678)

Tokugawa had banned the Portuguese

employed many of Kyotos most cre-

and Spanish from Japanese ports

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 7

because of their efforts to gain converts to Catholicism, but they permitted trade with the Dutch, who
were less interested in promoting religion. After 1720, when restrictions on
imported books were lifted, providing
they had no religiously subversive
content, a wide range of foreign books
and pictures filtered into the country.
These fueled the thirst for knowledge
and novelty, contributing significantly
to the rich cultural mix of the period.
In the 1820s, for instance, the introduction of an imported aniline dye
known as Prussian or Berlin blue contributed to a craze for prints that
made extensive use of this startlingly
deep and permanent color (see fig. 3).
With the spread of educational
opportunities and the diffusion of
inexpensive books, literacy soared
among men, women, and children of
all classes. Education, once limited to
warriors and courtiers, now became
available through temple schools as
well as private academies. Learning to
read and write required mastery of
Chinese characters as well as two syllabic systems. Although Chinese and
Japanese belong to different linguistic
systems, Japan had adopted Chinese
characters, supplementing them with
a complex phonetic syllabary. The
publication of easy-to-read novels,

adopted Confucianism as the state

figure 3

instructional manuals, and collections

ideology. The government found

Katsushika Hokusai (1760

of poetry, many of them with lively

it especially appealing because un-

illustrations, helped to make reading

like Buddhism and Shinto, the two

one of the most popular leisure activi-

other prevailing ethical systems, it

Provinces, c. 1833 1834, color

ties in town and country.

addressed political and moral con-

woodblock print, 37.5 x 24.8

cerns in a highly pragmatic way. The

(14 3/4 x 9 3/4 ), Private Collection,

China, long Japans cultural mentor, continued to play an important

Confucian value system undergirded

role, especially in the intellectual and

the Tokugawa social hierarchy as well

artistic spheres. The Tokugawa regime

as the emphasis on filial piety and

1849), Amida Waterfall on the

Kiso Highway, from A Tour
of Waterfalls in Various

California

Edo: Art in Japan 7

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 8

figure 4

loyalty to ones superior. The moraliz-

limited to the pictorial arts, but was

Ogata Krin (1658 1716) and

ing themes common in paintings

also manifested in other media, espe-

commissioned by the shogun, daimyo,

cially ceramics (see figs. 4, 5).

Ogata Kenzan (1663 1743),

Square dish with crane
design, c. 1710, stoneware and

and their vassals served to reinforce

underglaze iron oxide, width

Confucian ethical values.

22.2 (8 3/4 ), Fujita Museum of

Art, Osaka, Important Cultural
Property

Many artistic developments of the

by a highly integrated approach to the

arts. The Western distinction between

period were informed by a dynamic

the fine arts of painting and sculp-

tension between Chinese and indige-

ture and the applied arts of ceram-

nous aesthetic values that had charac-

ics, metalwork, and lacquer was

terized Japanese culture since ancient

unknown. Many artists worked in sev-

times. Painters of the orthodox Kano

eral media. Those of the Rinpa school,

school specialized in pictorial themes

for instance, were accomplished

and ink painting styles of Chinese ori-

painters and calligraphers as well as

gin; so too did the more individualis-

designers of textiles, lacquer, and

tic painters of the literati school. Yet

ceramics. Nor was there a sharp dis-

both groups also incorporated ele-

tinction between the visual, literary,

ments of Japanese aesthetics. While

and the performing arts. The tea cere-

Chinese pictorial traditions tended to

mony is among the many art forms

emphasize the potential of the brush

that combine both performative and

to create expressive line and texture,

visual elements.

Japanese aesthetics gave priority to

8 Edo: Art in Japan

The Edo period was characterized

Most artists, whether painters,

color and surface. The interplay

sculptors, potters, lacquerers, or

between these approaches was not

weavers, were organized into heredi-

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 9

tary workshops, some of which lasted

for many generations. These were
structured along familial lines, with
most members related by blood or
marriage; and those who were not
related adopted the same family
name. These occupational groups jealously guarded their trade secrets,
handing them down from master to
disciple. The Kano school of painters
and Got school of armorers, which
primarily served members of the
samurai class, flourished throughout
the Edo period. Woodblock print workshops were more dependent on the
fickle tastes of the public and rarely
lasted more than a generation or two.
This familial system was the norm
among other cultural groups as well.
Schools of tea, calligraphy, swordsmanship, and poetry were similarly
organized into artistic lineages, sometimes with many branches across the
country. Those desiring to learn a par-

figure 5
Dish with lotus leaf and
geometric pattern, late 1640s,

ticular skill paid a fee to study under

Hizen ware, porcelain with

one of their officially licensed mas-

underglaze cobalt blue and

ters. Mastery in one or more such arts

polychrome overglaze enam-

was deemed essential to the develop-

els, diameter 33 (13), Idemitsu

Museum of Arts, Tokyo

ment of aesthetic sensibility and

cultural literacy.

Edo: Art in Japan 9

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 10

edo style

hen we refer to a persons

An acute preoccupation with see-

style, we are usually

ing and being seen is among the most

describing the way he or

notable characteristics of Edo period

she behaves, talks, and dresses. Style

style, transcending such regional dif-

is an expression of both individual

ferences. The Edo world thrived on

and collective identity, and as such it

the spectacular, and the relationship

is shaped by and reflective of many

between art and life was constantly

factors ethnic, religious, regional,

being defined and redefined by

social, occupational, and historical.

images ranging from portraits of cour-

These variables must be kept in mind

tesans and actors, to scenic views of

when trying to discern the distin-

China and textile designs. This fasci-

guishing features of Japanese style

nation with the visual also spurred

during the two and a half centuries of

artistic experiments with unusual

the Edo period. What we now charac-

forms and materials, with the fantas-

terize as Edo style is in fact a blend

tic and the grotesque, and with the

of many different cultural traditions,

miniature and the gigantic. The high

indigenous and foreign, elite and pop-

level of ornamental refinement and

ular, old and new.

technical perfection in the design of

The term Edo style may be confusing, since Edo can refer both to the
city known today as Tokyo and to the

even the smallest articles of daily life

is further evidence of this tendency.
Aesthetic rebellion against the

period when its status as shogunal

tight socio-political controls main-

capital made it the nations political

tained by the Tokugawa government

and economic hub. Although Edo

was another distinguishing feature of

became Japans largest city, by com-

Edo style. This spirit of subversion

parison with Kyoto, it was a cheeky

appeared in all media and was given

upstart. The cultural style that devel-

expression in many ways, both subtle

oped in Edo celebrated this youthful

and blatantly defiant. The popularity

vigor. Residents of Edo prided them-

of ceramics, lacquer, and textiles with

selves on their modern sensibility

Rinpa style designs had anti-shogunal

their openness to innovations, their

overtones because of their association

bravado, their love of extravagant dis-

with the tradition of the imperial

play. This aesthetic outlook was in

court; these aristocratic values repre-

striking contrast to that prevailing in

sented an artistic alternative that

Kyoto and nearby Osaka. Kyoto tradi-

challenged those promulgated by the

tionally was the home of the emperor

samurai class. This aestheticism was

and the nobility, and its residents

central to the visual arts, performing

identified deeply with the elegance

arts, and fashions in the pleasure

and refinement of this time-honored

quarters. Further evidence of this

courtly tradition. Rivalry between the

defiance of the cultural values of the

brash young capital in the northeast

Tokugawa shogunate can be found in

and its older counterparts to the

the exceptional delight both artists

southwest was central to the cultural

and their audiences took in artful dis-

dynamics of the Edo period.

plays of novelty, eccentricity, fantasy,

and visual and verbal puns.

10 Edo Style

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 11

slide 1
Kosode with net pattern,
chrysanthemums, and characters
1668 1704
Tie-dyeing, stenciled imitation tie-dyeing,
and silk and metallic thread embroidery on
figured silk satin
158.5 x 139.6 (62 3/8 x 55)
Tokyo National Museum

Most men and women, regardless of

status, wore kosode, which were
loose, straight-seamed garments,
crossed left over right in front and
tied at the waist precursors of the
modern kimono. While its cut
changed little over the course of the
Edo period, the techniques and styles
of decoration varied widely in keeping
with changing fashions and individual tastes. The dynamic design of this
womans kosode, produced using a
combination of weaving, dyeing, and
embroidery techniques, reflects the
sophisticated approach popular in the
last quarter of the seventeenth century one of the creative high points
of the Edo period.
The rebuslike design of Chinese
characters and pictorial motifs
alludes to an unidentified classical
poem that would have been familiar
to educated persons at the time. The
presence of chrysanthemums suggests that its theme was autumnal
and its mood melancholy. Such striking designs were popular in the fashion world because they allowed the
wearers to display their cultivation
and cultural literacy.

Edo Style 11

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 12

slide 2
Writing box with crane design in the
style of Ogata Krin
Eighteenth century
Lacquer
4.8 x 24.2 x 21.8 (17/8 x 9 1/2 x 8 1/2)
Tokyo National Museum

Lacquer writing boxes were treasured

accessories of daily life with both
practical and symbolic value. Made to
hold the implements of writing and
painting brush, inkstone, inkstick,
and waterdropper they were status
symbols of the cultivated man or
woman.
The asymmetrical arrangement of
cranes in flight seen here is characteristic of the aesthetics of the Rinpa
school, which first developed among
a circle of craftsmen in sixteenthcentury Kyoto and reached artistic
fruition a century later in the work
of Krin and his brother Kenzan.
Because these artists drew inspiration
from the literary and artistic traditions associated with the imperial
court, the Rinpa style had connotations of courtly elegance that made it
very attractive to many social constituencies. The motifs and design
principles developed by Rinpa artists
readily lent themselves to adaptation
What is lacquer?
Lacquer is the sap of the lac tree, which is poisonous. The sap
is mixed with mineral and vegetable dyes to produce different
colors, such as red, black, green, yellow, and brown. When many
coats of lacquer are applied to wood, paper, or other materials
and allowed to dry, they create a hard and waterproof surface.
Sometimes color or metal dust is added while the surface is still
wet to create sumptuous, decorative effects. Articles coated with
lacquer ranged from soup bowls and chopsticks to writing boxes
and tables.

12 Edo Style

in many media, including textiles,

ceramics, metalwork, and lacquer,
and were rapidly diffused throughout
Japan.

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 13

slide 3
Dish with radish and waves design
c. 1680 1690s
Nabeshima ware
Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue and
overglaze enamels
Diameter 20.4 (8 1/8)
Imaemon Museum of Ceramic Antiques, Saga

A single giant radish (daikon) curves

around the rim of this plate, with its
broad leaves cascading down toward
the center. The remainder of the plate
is covered with a pattern of small
waves whose soothing rhythms are in
sharp contrast to the drama and monumentality of the radish. Radishes
were humble fare, a staple in the diets
of people of all walks of life, but
because of their phallic connotations
they were also auspicious motifs.
This porcelain plate is a striking
example of the tableware made for
the Nabeshima, daimyo whose
domain was situated in northern
Kyushu, the source of Japans finest
porcelain-making clays. Nabeshima
wares were made to exceptionally
high standards of workmanship and
uniformity in a limited range of sizes
and shapes because they were
reserved for official use or gift giving.
Unlike other porcelains, they were not
exported to the West during the Edo
period.

Edo Style 13

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:43 AM

Page 14

slide 4
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797 1861)
He Looks Fierce, but Hes Really
a Nice Person
from an untitled series of composite portraits
c. 1847 1848
Color woodblock print
Approx. 38 x 26 (15 x 10 1/4 )
Private Collection, Hygo

In the second quarter of the nineteenth century many woodblock print

artists began to explore subjects such
as landscape, historical figures, and
even playfully subversive themes that
previously appeared rarely or not at
all in the print repertory. Kuniyoshi,
one of the most inventive artists of
his generation, specialized in witty
pictures that turned the viewing
experience into a kind of game. Many
of his designs incorporated elements
from European prints; this one, for
instance, is influenced by the fruit
and vegetable composites of the sixteenth-century Italian painter
Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
This playful composition shows
the head and hand of a samurai
formed from an assemblage of bodies.
It is accompanied by a title and the
moralizing statement, Many people
have come together to make a truly
fine person, but in the end, its true
for everyone, without receiving someHow are woodblock prints made?
Woodblock prints are the products of a collaborative effort. They
involve an artist who creates a line drawing; a carver who cuts the
design into blocks of wood; a printer who produces the final
impression by applying ink to the woodblocks and transferring the
image to paper; and a publisher who finances and sells the print.
In preparing a multicolor print, a separate block is used for each
color. Sometimes as many as fifteen blocks may be required.

14 Edo Style

thing from others, one cannot become

a good person. Using these verbal
and visual clues, the informed viewer
might have identified this picture as a
clever allusion to a fierce but kindly
twelfth-century warrior.

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 15

samurai

figure 6

he samurai class, represent-

Ni cuirass armor, iron, lac-

ing a mere seven to ten percent

quer, silk, leather, and boars

of the population, owed its

hair (on helmet), height of

power and status to its prowess on the

cuirass and skirt 65.2 (25 5/8),

battle-field. But with the advent of

Tokyo National Museum

nationwide peace, these warriors were

Unlike most Japanese armor,

forced to become civil bureaucrats.

which is fashioned from mul-

Although they continued to practice

tiple iron plates covered with

lacquer and laced together

the military arts, they also applied

with leather cords or silk

themselves increasingly to the arts of

braid, this one is made with

peace that were deemed necessary to

two large sheets of iron for

carry out their administrative duties.

the front and back. These iron

In 1615 Tokugawa Ieyasu promulgated

sheets are hammered into the

shape of a naked torso with

a code for the warrior class that stipu-

grotesquely exaggerated ribs,

lated: The arts of peace and war,

breasts, and navel, like those

including archery and horsemanship,

of the Ni, the bare-chested,

should be pursued singlemindedly.

muscular figures that stand

From days [of old] the rule has been to

practice the arts of peace on the left

ence of Confucianism.
In the absence of actual warfare,

guard at the entrances to

Buddhist temples. The
unusual construction of this

hand and the arts of war on the right:

samurai developed elaborate rituals

armor and helmet may reflect

both must be mastered (Tsunoda et

through which to display their martial

the influence of European

al., 1964, 326). In keeping with this

spirit. They demonstrated their skill at

injunction, most samurai studied

horseback riding, shooting with a bow

Chinese history and literature and

and arrow, and, of course, swords-

took up at least one of the four tradi-

manship at ceremonial sporting

tional gentlemanly arts of painting,

events. To create an impressive spec-

calligraphy, poetry, and chess. Yet pre-

tacle, daimyo donned armor when

serving all the symbolic trappings of

marching between Edo and their feu-

their military tradition remained para-

dal domains. Since functional consid-

mount.

erations were secondary, these were

Growing distance from the reali-

armor. Both were designed to

withstand gunfire.

often highly decorative and finely

ties of war contributed to the idealiza-

crafted of the most costly materials

tion of the martial life. The cult of

(see fig. 6). A pair of matching swords,

Bushid, the way of the warrior,

one large and one small, the badge of

encapsulated many principles central

samurai status, was worn at all times.

to this martial ideal. It emphasized

Because of their symbolic value and

valor and loyalty to ones feudal lord

intrinsic beauty, samurai of means

as well as the samurais obligation to

often amassed many more swords

provide moral and political leader-

than they could actually use. Ancient

ship. Although these values had long

swords, such as those made by the

been part of the warriors ethic,

legendary swordsmith Masamune,

Bushid assumed its mature form in

were especially treasured by such

the Edo period only through the influ-

collectors.

Samurai 15

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 16

slide 5
Miyamoto Musashi (1584 1645)
Hotei and Fighting Cocks
Seventeenth century
Hanging scroll; ink on paper
71 x 32.7 (28 x 12 7/8)
Fukuoka Art Museum
Important Art Object

A bulging sack over his shoulders and

a staff propping up his arms, Hotei,
one of the seven gods of good fortune,
looks down benignly at a pair of fighting cocks. A semi-legendary figure in
the Buddhist pantheon of saints and
sages, who was popularly believed to
bestow wealth and good luck, Hotei
was a frequent subject for amateur
ink painters. A masterless samurai,
Miyamoto Musashi was one of the
greatest swordsmen of his day. He
also studied Zen Buddhism and cultivated the arts, becoming highly
accomplished in the minimalist style
favored by monk painters of the Zen
sect. In this unusual work, executed
with only a few simple brushstrokes
and broad washes of ink, he invites
the viewer to contemplate the possibility of reconciling the pursuit of
Buddhist enlightenment with that of
the martial arts.

16 Samurai

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 17

slide 6
Helmet with rabbits ears
Sixteenth century
Wood and/or papier mch, iron, lacquer, and
silver foil
Height of helmet bowl 39.5 (15 1/2)
National Museum of Japanese History, Chiba

Presenting an imposing appearance

was important to warriors in times of
war and peace. As the opportunities
to display prowess on the battlefield
waned, warriors increasingly sought
to draw attention to themselves by
commissioning inventively shaped
helmets that emphasized craftsmanship at the expense of protective
function. This helmet combines tall
rabbits ears made from papier mch
covered with silver foil and lacquer, a
metal brow plate hammered into
wrinkles, and a crescent moon of
leather decorated with silver leaf.
Although the effect may appear
humorous to the modern viewer, the
wearer may have chosen this design
because the rabbit and the moon had
connotations of immortality.

Samurai 17

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 18

slide 7
Jinbaori with ships sails
Eighteenth century
Wool and other textiles
85 x 100 (33 1/2 x 39 3/8)
Maeda Ikutokukai Foundation, Tokyo

Amply proportioned garments like

this were originally designed to be
worn over armor, to protect their
wearers from rain and cold. Yet design
rather than function was uppermost
in the mind of the craftsman who
fashioned this garment for Maeda
Shigehiro, daimyo of Kaga domain. Its
eye-catching design shows European
ships with wind-filled sails and cresting waves on the back, and sleeves
decorated with a dramatic sawtooth
motif. The material from which this
coat was made, its shape, and the
motifs decorating it reveal the influence of the Portuguese and Spanish,
who introduced both wool and
European fashions to Japan during the
sixteenth century. Although Portuguese ships were not permitted entry
into Japanese ports during the Edo
period, their striking appearance and
exotic connotations made them
enduring decorative motifs.

18 Samurai

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 19

work

uring the Edo period an

leaves for autumn, both for their

figure 7

individuals occupation

visual beauty and to suggest the cycli-

Occupations and Activities of

determined his or her social

cal nature of life. Long scrolls and

Each Month, mid-eighteenth

century, detail from a pair of

status, and class consciousness was

screens displaying the rich variety of

six-panel screens; ink, color,

closely allied to professional identity.

artisan workshops and commercial

and gold on paper, each 79.4 x

The Tokugawa shogunate recognized

trades typical of the urban environ-

235.8 (31 1/4 x 92 7/8), The Sakai

four hereditary occupational groups,

ment had ideological overtones, but

in descending order samurai,

they were also commissioned as

farmer, artisan, and merchant, with

emblems of occupational pride.

courtiers and monks included in the

Because of the rigid social hierar-

Museum, Osaka
The adoption of an elevated
vantage point provides a
panoramic view of a bustling
metropolis. Streets teeming

high-ranking samurai class. Despite

chy, clothes and other attributes of

with pedestrians flanked by

the popular esteem they enjoyed,

class also took on enormous symbolic

rows of shops suggest the

entertainers, as well as those whose

importance in Edo society. The gov-

dynamic energy and prosper-

work was associated with death, were

ernment issued guidelines for the

classified as outcasts. The emperor,

materials, colors, and styles appropri-

sharp contrast to the disci-

believed to be descended from the

ate to each class. Only samurai, for

plined industry of craftsmen

gods, also stood outside the four-part

instance, were allowed to wear silk

and tradesmen at work in

social hierarchy. Physical mobility and

and to carry two swords, the heredi-

intermarriage between classes was

tary emblems of their identity as war-

discouraged, although it did occur

riors. Merchants rebelled against

used a temporal scheme to

increasingly in the nineteenth century

these restrictions by displaying their

organize and add interest to

as impoverished farmers migrated to

wealth in cotton garments dyed in

the city and samurai seeking financial

costly colors with bold, inventive

stability married their daughters to

designs. Even workers garments bore

allusions to seasonal festivals

wealthy merchants.

professional crests and other forms of

and other ritual and secular

decoration.

activities.

Confucian teachings held that

ity of the city. The unruly

vitality of street life is in

their neat, tatami-matted

workplaces.
Edo period artists often

their depiction of occupational activities. Here the passage of time is marked by

peace and prosperity would prevail

throughout the land if the ruler was
wise and moral and his people lived
in conformance with the natural
order. This implied acceptance of
ones assigned place in society.
Pictures of people at work (see fig. 7)
are among the array of socio-political
symbols that promoted this ideal.
In keeping with Confucian values,
the shogunate promulgated the image
of Japan as an agrarian society, an
ideal that was given artistic expression in the many scenes of farmers at
work. Such views often incorporated
seasonal markers, such as cherry
blossoms for spring and red maple

Work 19

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 20

slide 8
Kusumi Morikage (c. 1620 1690)
Rice Cultivation in the Four Seasons
Detail from a pair of six-panel screens;
ink and light color on paper
Each 151 x 347 (59 1/2 x 136 5/8)
Kyoto National Museum
Important Cultural Property

The farmer at work was a timehonored theme in Japanese art, evocative of the seasonal beauties of the
countryside and of annual ritual
cycles. In the Edo period these rituals
took on political meaning as well,
because of the importance of agriculture in Tokugawa ideology. The idyllic
representation of farm life in the
visual arts, however, was in sharp
contrast to its harsh realities.
In this pair of screens a flowing
stream in the foreground and rolling
hills in the background link views of
farmers ploughing, planting, tending,
harvesting, and threshing rice. This
detail from the left corner of the lefthand screen shows a farmhouse
where the rice is being bundled while
a woman with a child on her back
looks on. The lightness of touch
especially the deft handling of the
pale ink washes and delicate bands of
gold mist is characteristic of the
style of Kusumi Morikage, an artist
active in the northern domain of the
Maeda, one of the wealthiest daimyo
How were folding screens used?
Screens, usually designed in pairs of two, four, or six panels each,
were a favorite format for the Japanese painter. They had both
practical and decorative functions, providing privacy at night and
preventing drafts in the winter, while adding visual interest to a
room. When the shogun held an audience, his importance was
underscored by placing a painted screen behind him. When not in
use, screens could be easily folded and put away.

20 Work

families of this era.

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 21

slide 9
Kosode with design of Rice
Cultivation in the Four Seasons
Early nineteenth century
Paste-resist dye on figured silk satin
167.2 x 124 (65 7/8 x 48 7/8)
Tokyo National Museum

Rice, the primary standard of wealth

in Edo society, was rich in religious,
political, and aesthetic overtones that
made it a favorite motif in all media.
The affluent owner of this robe may
have selected this motif for its connotations of prosperity as well as its evocation of the attractions of rural life.
By the nineteenth century overcrowding and other conditions of urban life
fueled nostalgia for the beauties of
the natural world.
Decorative considerations rather
than the realities of rice cultivation
have guided the arrangement of the
scenes on the front and back of this
garment. The pale blue of the raised
paths separating the rice paddies
frames each activity while at the
same time serving as a visual thread
that weaves together the various
scenes in this intricate composition.

Work 21

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:44 AM

Page 22

slide 10
Firemans jacket with design of
waves and dragon
Paste-resist dye on plain-weave cotton, quilted
81.9 x 94 (32 1/4 x 37)
Tokyo National Museum

Since many buildings in the Edo

period were made of wood and paper,
cities were subject to frequent, often
catastrophic fires. The firemen who
risked their lives to douse these
flames, displaying extraordinary bravery, became popular heroes.
Firemen wore heavily padded and
quilted jackets, trousers, hoods, and
gloves that were doused with water to
shield them from heat and flames.
These garments were often decorated
with motifs believed to provide symbolic protection. Because of their
association with rain and water, dragons were deemed an especially auspicious motif for firefighters.

22 Work

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:45 AM

Page 23

religion

lthough Edo society is often

described as secular, religious
faith permeated many forms

of cultural expression. The most direct

manifestations of prevailing beliefs
and practices are devotional paintings
and statues depicting Buddhist and
Shinto gods and visualizations of
heaven and hell in which sentient
beings are reborn according to the
deeds they performed during their
lifetimes. Such images were created
primarily by professional artists specializing in religious subjects, for
display, worship, and instruction in
temples and shrines. In addition,
there also developed a large body of
imagery that was more reflective of
the daily lives of the populace. These
included woodblock prints recounting
the lives of Buddhist saints, calligraphic scrolls depicting Buddhist
proverbs, panoramic screens of devotees on pilgrimage to or attending the
temple and shrine festivals, and even
illustrated books poking fun at
revered deities. Mythical figures possessed of supernatural powers
inspired by Chinese Daoist tradition
were also popular in painting and
prints (see fig. 8).
Until the Meiji period (1868

Shinto gods. Despite considerable

figure 8
Soga Shhaku (1730 1781),

1912), when Buddhism and Shinto

overlap, the two faiths fulfilled com-

were officially separated, these two

plementary spiritual functions, with

faiths were woven together like the

Shinto stressing well-being in this

screens; ink and color on

warp and woof of a richly textured

world and Buddhist in the next.

paper, each 163.2 x 364 (64 1/4 x

fabric. While Buddhism had foreign

Although many schools of Budd-

Daoist Immortals, 1764,

detail from a pair of six-panel

143 3/8), Private Collection,

Kyoto

roots, having been introduced to

hism flourished in Japan, no single

Japan via China and the Korean

one dominated the cultural life of the

peninsula, Shinto was of indigenous

Edo period, partly owing to the fact

origin. Most religious institutions

that the shogunate placed all of the

his subjects with bizarre

included halls where believers could

Buddhist institutions under its direct

humor and exuberant energy.

offer prayers to both Buddhist and

control for fear that they might exert

Shhaku drew on the rich lore

of the Chinese tradition for
his painting, often investing

Religion 23

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:45 AM

Page 24

undue influence on the populace. The

major religious schools that were in

and rural regions gained power and

existence at the outset of the Edo

influence in the Edo period. In these

period the Esoteric Shingon, which

new centers innovative forms of artis-

emphasized the power of ritual; the

tic expression arose, breathing new

Pure Land, which promised salvation

life into traditional themes and styles.

and rebirth in paradise through faith

Itinerant monks such as Hakuin

in the Buddha Amida; and Zen, which

(1685 1769), Enku

(1632 1695), and

emphasized contemplation and self-

Mokujiki (1718 1810) helped their

discipline all continued to enjoy

followers visualize the divine and

large followings. Of these, Zen had the

understand Buddhist teachings

most profound impact on the devel-

through deceptively artless, often

opment of the arts. The themes and

irreverent paintings, calligraphy, and

styles of monochrome ink painting,

sculpture.

the aesthetics of the tea ceremony,

and the philosophical underpinnings
of the martial arts are all indebted to
Zen Buddhism.

24 Religion

Religious institutions in provincial

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:45 AM

Page 25

slide 11

The Gion Festival has been held in

Gion Festival

Kyoto every summer since the ninth

Seventeenth century
Detail from a pair of six-panel screens;
ink, color, and gold on paper

century in honor of the god believed

to protect the city against pestilence.

Each 152.5 x 356.5 (60 x 140 /8)

In the detail of the screen seen here, a

Kyoto National Museum

parade of large-wheeled, towering

floats, the highlight of the festival,

Panoramic views of Buddhist temple

winds through the narrow streets of

and Shinto shrine festivals, crowded

the city. Districts competed with one

with people from all walks of life,

another in the lavishness and origi-

were a favorite motif in Edo screen

nality of their floats, some even deco-

painting. Artists often painted in

rated with ornate tapestries from

workshops near the sites depicted to

Belgium. Young men today still vie for

encourage travelers and pilgrims to

the honor of participating in this col-

visit.

orful and physically grueling event.

Religion 25

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:45 AM

Page 26

slide 12
Hakuin Ekaku (1685 1768)
Daruma (Bodhidharma)
Hanging scroll; ink on paper
134.2 x 91.8 (52 7/8 x 36 1/8)
Seikenji, Shizuoka

His glaring eyes, beard, and earrings,

emblematic of his exotic ethnic background and spiritual powers, make
Daruma easy to recognize.
Daruma (also known as Bodhidharma) is the legendary Indian
founder of Zen Buddhism. Introduced
to Japan from China in the twelfth
century, Zen became a powerful force
in the development of Sino-Japanese
literary and pictorial arts. Initially it
was patronized chiefly by the nobility
and military elite, but during the Edo
period provincial Zen temples, such
as the Shinji in Nara, where Hakuin
was a monk, began to devote more
attention to the needs of the masses.
Hakuin took up painting both as a
spiritual exercise and to provide
visual aids for explaining Buddhist
teachings. Most of his works are
painted in black ink, with only a few
broad, wet brushstrokes. Despite its
reductive style, this portrayal is a convincing evocation of the intensity and
steadfastness of the meditations
through which Daruma achieved
enlightenment.

26 Religion

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:45 AM

Page 27

slide 13

demon. While the demon confronts

Attributed to Katsushika Hokusai

his prey with the instruments of

(1760 1849)

battle a staff and rope the seated

Buddhist Priest Warding off a Demon

c. 1845
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
150 x 240 (59 x 94 1/2)
Sjiji, Tokyo

monk repels him with the sacred

scroll he holds in his raised hands.
The jet-black sky and grotesquely
deformed dog wrapped around a fungus-encrusted tree enhance the sense

Hokusai is best known in the West as

of drama and menace that pervades

a designer of woodblock prints (see

this scene.

slide 16), but he was also a prolific

Although the identity of the pray-

and innovative painter with a taste

ing monk is uncertain, he has tradi-

for the supernatural. Many of his

tionally been identified as Kb

paintings date from the end of his life,

Daishi (774 835), founder of the

and are signed The old man mad

Esoteric Shingon sect, and one of the

about painting. In this large, striking

most deeply revered monks in Japan.

composition, painted in primary

This painting was originally mounted

colors with rippling brushstrokes, a

as a framed panel and hung under the

Buddhist priest uses the power of

eaves of the temple.

prayer to challenge a colossal horned

Religion 27

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:45 AM

Page 28

travel

ravel was a recurring theme

shogun in Edo. But by the eighteenth

in Japanese litera ture and art

century many tourists were also on

well before the seventeenth

the road. Some set off to see the

century; it was limited primarily to

sights in the nations three great

members of the military and court

cities, Edo, Osaka, and Kyoto. The

nobility on official business or pil-

southern city of Nagasaki, the sole

grimage, and to Buddhist priests seek-

port officially open to foreign trade,

ing converts. With the advent of

was a special magnet for those eager

nationwide peace, the creation of new

to learn more about the culture of

roads, and the availability of lodgings,

China, Korea, and the West. Others

travel became easier and safer. Rising

made pilgrimages to historic religious

standards of living and newfound

centers, such as the shrines at Ise, or

leisure also made it possible for ordi-

to Mount Fuji. Still others journeyed

nary people to travel for pleasure. The

to scenic spots celebrated in classical

volume of traffic on the nations

literature. Some even reenacted the

major highways was so heavy that

travels of famous poets of the past,

Engelbert Kaempher, a German physi-

including the haiku master Bashs

cian in Japan between 1690 and 1692,

journey into the Deep North, as the

described Japan as a country of people

region north of Edo was then known.

constantly on the move.

Much of this travel was associated

28 Travel

Like tourists today, Edo period

travelers took to the road with illus-

with the practice of alternate atten-

trated guidebooks in hand. Purchasing

dance, which required daimyo to

souvenirs and gifts for friends and

spend every other year serving the

family along the way was also an

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 29

indispensable part of the tourist expe-

tion with objective reality led many

rience. Shops catering to this clientele

artists to record their observations

could be found in cities as well as

using the techniques of Western

along the major highways. Inexpen-

perspective.

figure 9
Maruyama kyo (1733 1795),
Both Banks of the Yodo River,
1765, detail from a handscroll;
ink and color on silk, 40.2 x

sive woodblock prints from series

1690.5 (15 7/8 x 665 1/2), The Arc-

such as Hiroshiges One Hundred

en-Ciel Foundation, Tokyo

Famous Views of Edo were frequently

The Yodo River was a major

purchased by visitors to that great

artery for commercial traffic

metropolis. Popular souvenirs from

and travel between Kyoto and

Osaka. The many scenic sights

Kyoto included a rich variety of paint-

along its banks also made it

ings, ceramics, lacquer, and silks.

popular for pleasure boating.

Artists shaped and responded to

the growth of travel in many ways.

This scroll reveals kyos

efforts to integrate the results
of his personal observations

They recorded the impressive and col-

with a more traditional con-

orful processions of daimyo and their

ceptual approach to painting.

retinues often numbering in the

Using the Western technique

hundreds en route between Edo

and their provincial domains. They set

of vanishing point perspective

in combination with the conventions of Sino-Japanese

off to see the country for themselves,

maps, it shows both the near

painting evocative sketches that cap-

and far banks of the Yodo

tured both the poetry and the reality

River from an elevated view-

of the people and places they encoun-

point. The long, narrow format, read from right to left,

tered (see fig. 9). In the latter part of

also enables the viewer to

the Edo period a growing preoccupa-

recreate mentally the experience of traveling along the

river.
Throughout his career
kyo experimented with a
wide range of pictorial styles
and techniques to produce
bold figural, flower-and-bird,
and landscape paintings. The
founder of one of Kyotos leading schools of painting, he
had a profound and enduring
influence. Nihonga, a
Japanese style of painting still
practiced today, is deeply
indebted to his aesthetic
vision.

Travel 29

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 30

slide 14

the beauty of the blossoming cherries,

Watanabe Shik (1683 1755)

and in 1594 Tokugawa Ieyasus prede-

Mount Yoshino

cessor, the great military leader

Early eighteenth century

Detail from a pair of six-panel screens;
ink, color, and gold on paper

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 1598), and

his entourage made a spring outing

Each 150 x 362 (59 x 142 /2)

there that was later remembered in

Private Collection, Kyoto

screen paintings.

The stylized interplay of simplified

Time-honored religious, literary, and

forms and sumptuous decorative

political associations would have

effects of this composition is charac-

made the mountains depicted in this

teristic of the work of the Rinpa

pair of screens easily recognizable to

school, which included Ogata Krin

most Edo period viewers. Famous for

and his younger brother Kenzan (see

their purifying hot springs and their

figs. 4, 5, and slides 2, 15). Although

many shrines and temples, the

Watanabe Shik painted in many

Yoshino mountains have been a pop-

styles, this work is especially indebted

ular pilgrim destination since ancient

to Krin.

times. Generations of poets extolled

30 Travel

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 31

slide 15
Ogata Kenzan (1663 1743)
The Eight-Fold Bridge
Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper
35.6 x 40.6 (14 x 16)
Private Collection, Kyoto
Important Cultural Property

Painting, calligraphy, and poetry are

masterfully combined here to create
a composition of great lyrical power.
Its source of inspiration is an incident
in the Tales of Ise, a tenth-century
account of the fictional courtier
Ariwara no Narihiras travels in eastern Japan. At Yatsuhashi, so named
for the eight-plank bridge spanning a
marsh overgrown with irises, Narihira
and his friends composed a poem to
express their nostalgia for Kyoto,
beginning each line with one of the
five syllables from the word for iris,
kakitsubata.
This theme was a favorite of many
artists of the Edo period, but especially those residing in Kyoto, which
lost its cultural supremacy when Edo
was made the shogunal headquarters.
Both Kenzan, the creator of this scroll,
and his older brother Krin rendered
it time and again in their painting,
ceramic, and lacquer designs.

Travel 31

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 32

slide 16

The object of worship since

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 1849)

Sudden Wind on a Clear Day
from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
c. 1830 1832
Color woodblock print

ancient times, Mount Fuji was an

especially popular subject in the arts
of the Edo period. Since its name
sounds similar to the Japanese word

Approx 26 x 38 (10 /4 x 15)

for no death, the sight of Mount Fuji

Tokyo National Museum

was thought to bring good luck and

long life. On a clear day, the volcanos

Breathtaking in its simplicity and

conical form was visible from the city

clarity, this woodblock print captures

of Edo, and in the summer months,

the sweeping view of Mount Fuji that

when its upper reaches were bare of

travelers, then as now, hope for but

snow, many pilgrims climbed it in the

rarely see. As the title indicates, the

hopes of attaining immortality.

artist has commemorated this

national landmark just as a wind has
cleared away the clouds that often
hide its snow-covered peak. Although
many artists represented Mount Fuji,
Hokusai was the first to capture its
changing moods, in different seasons,
at various times of day, and under different weather conditions, in paintings, prints, and book illustrations.
The mountains red coloring here suggests dawn.

32 Travel

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 33

entertainment

ntertainment was an indispensable ingredient in the

urban cultural mix of Edo

period Japan. Every city had an officially licensed pleasure quarter where
men could socialize and be amused by
talented courtesans. Edo and Osaka
boasted kabuki theaters where the
nations favorite actors performed.
Open areas along the riverbanks or
surrounding temples and shrines were
packed with shops, sideshows, and
food stalls that drew people from even
the most humble backgrounds.
Temporary arenas for sumo wrestling
tournaments, a wildly popular professional sport, were set up several times
a year in locations throughout the
country (see fig. 10). Even the residents
of the smallest towns and villages
could count on periodic visits from
itinerant theater and dance troupes
and enjoy the ritual dance dramas
performed at temples and shrines.
Affluent merchants played a leading role in creating and supporting the
vibrant urban culture that developed
in the city. Denied a say in running the
country, despite their role in its economy, merchants threw their energies
into the practice and patronage of cultural pursuits traditionally monopolized by the elite. They became
devotees of the theater, pleasure quar-

sions, samurai also participated in

figure 10

ters, and restaurants fashionable

these popular activities. Attending

Katsukawa Shunei (1762

realms where the normal order of

performances of stately n drama,

society was turned upside down and

ceremonial teas, and other officially

taste rather than status ruled. Flouting

sanctioned entertainments was a

38 x 26 (15 x 10 1/4), Tokyo

the dress codes imposed on them by

duty, but the more free-wheeling

National Museum

the government, they also became

diversions available in the heart of the

arbiters of male and female fashion.

city exerted an irresistible appeal.

Despite official exhortations that

they refrain from such frivolous diver-

1819), The Sumo Wrestlers

Kajihama and Jinmaku, 1790,
color woodblock print, approx.

Many kabuki plays dramatized the alltoo-common conflict between duty

Entertainment 33

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 34

and human emotions that resulted

kabuki actors came to be called

when a samurai fell in love with a

ukiyoe, or pictures of the floating

beautiful courtesan.

world. Ukiyoe was originally a

The Yoshiwara pleasure quarter

became the hub of the popular cul-

sorrow and transience, but in its new

ture that flourished in Edo. The

usage it signified the hedonistic and

women who populated this walled

fleeting delights of the pleasure quar-

compound, situated at the outskirts of

ters. Artists who capitalized on the

the city, ranged from prostitutes and

publics fascination with this milieu

teahouse waitresses to haughty cour-

ignored its darker realities.

tesans, whose beauty, taste in dress,

Demand for images of the plea-

and skill in the arts made them the

sure quarters was widespread and

cultural icons of their day. This was

mass-produced woodblock prints

the environment that came to be

were inexpensive enough for every-

called the floating world. As one

one to buy. Like modern-day film and

contemporary writer put it, it was a

television stars, courtesans and actors

place where people lived only for the

were glamorous trendsetters whose

moment, floating along like a gourd

admirers could take vicarious plea-

on a stream. The paintings and prints

sure in studying their lifestyles.

glorifying the lives of courtesans and

34 Entertainment

Buddhist term with connotations of

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 35

slide 17
N mask: Asakura j
(old man)
Seventeenth century
Carved wood, gesso, and pigment
19.7 x 16.2 (7 3/4 x 6 3/8)
Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art

The masks worn by the protagonists

in n drama are among the finest
manifestations of Edo period sculpture. Finely modeled and delicately
painted, they portray a wide range of
standardized types and emotional
states. While masks used for female
roles suggest timeless, idealized feminine beauty, those used for male roles
are more sharply differentiated and
expressive. This mask, worn by a
character playing an old man, has
deeply furrowed brows, sunken
cheeks, and a beard and hair made of
horsehair.
Institutionalized as part of the ceremonial entertainments hosted by
shogun and daimyo, n is a theater of
stately, elegant understatement that
combines mime, dance, and chanting
with elaborate costumes and stylized
masks. Since n is performed on a
wooden stage with few props, the
colors and patterns of the costumes
as well as the subtle emotional
nuances of the masks are of special
importance.

Entertainment 35

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:46 AM

Page 36

slide 18
Kabuki costume with target
and arrows
Nineteenth century
Silk and metallic thread embroidered
appliqus with ink on silk satin
110 x 131 (43 1/4 x 51 5/8)
Tokyo National Museum

While the roots of n can be traced to

the patronage of fourteenth-century
shogun, kabuki originated in public
entertainments first held on temporary stages set up on riverbanks or on
temple compounds in the sixteenth
century. Initially both sexes performed, but after the Tokugawa
shogunate banned women because
they were too provocative, men
assumed female as well as male roles.
Action-filled and melodramatic,
kabuki was a major form of popular
entertainment throughout the Edo
period. Like n, it is a highly stylized
form, but kabuki actors have far
greater liberty in interpreting their
roles. Dazzling costumes that could
be seen by audiences in dimly lit
theaters were an important component of kabukis dramatic appeal. The
arrow-pierced target strategically
placed on the back and two additional
arrows on the front of this robe make
it exceptionally eye-catching.

36 Entertainment

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 37

slide 19
Hikone Screen
c. 1620s 1640s
Detail from one of six panels (originally
connected in screen format); ink, color,
and gold on paper
Assembled 94.6 x 274.8 (37 1/4 x 108 1/8)
Hikone Castle Museum, Shiga
National Treasure

These figures, set against a backdrop

formed by the application of squares
of gold foil, are frozen in a tableau
that hints of amorous pleasures and
at the same time parodies the traditional cultural pursuits of music,
board games, painting, and calligraphy. The only distinct object in the
background is a folding screen with a
Chinese landscape, but the fashionable attire and hairstyles of the subjects intimate that it is the interior of
a house of pleasure. Games are suggested by the men and women playing sugoroku (a board game much like
backgammon), and music by the
shamisen, a stringed instrument used
primarily by women of the pleasure
quarters.
This screen has long been
regarded as a pivotal work in the shift
from landscape to figural themes in
Edo painting. Although it is unsigned,
it is likely to have been painted by an
artist of the Kano school, whose
members served as official painters to
the shogun and daimyo. The screen is
commonly known as the Hikone Screen
because it belonged to a daimyo family of the Hikone fief near Kyoto.

Entertainment 37

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 38

slide 20
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1754 1806)
The Fancy-Free Type
from Ten Types of Female Physiognomy
c. 1792 1793
Color woodblock print with mica
37.8 x 24.3 (14 7/8 x 9 1/2)
Tokyo National Museum
Important Cultural Property

Utamaro, perhaps the most celebrated

artist of the floating world, produced
many paintings and prints of tall, elegant courtesans dressed in gorgeous
robes. He also was the first to explore
the female personality in half-length
and bust portraits, formats previously
used exclusively for the portrayal of
kabuki actors, and to enhance them
with mirrorlike mica backgrounds.
This print, from a series the artist
never completed, captures a woman
at an unguarded moment, just as she
has emerged, glowing and slightly
disheveled, from the bath. The caption
above her head identifies her as
uwaki, a word that has connotations
of flirtatiousness, fickleness, and even
promiscuity. This characterization is
revealed through her slightly averted
eyes and coquettish pose as well as
the disarray of her clothing, hairpins,
and combs.

38 Entertainment

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 39

glossary

Bushid martial code for samurai,

samurai warrior; highest-ranking

formalized in the Edo period

class of Edo society

Confucianism Chinese ethical system

Shingon school of Buddhism that

adopted as state ideology by the

stresses secret rituals of the body,

Tokugawa rulers

mind, and speech

daimyo feudal lord of one of approxi-

Shinto indigenous religion of Japan

mately 250 domains in Edo Japan

that coexisted and merged with

kabuki popular theater of the Edo

period
Kano hereditary school of painters
patronized chiefly by the samurai
kosode garment commonly worn

Buddhism
shogun title given supreme military
leader during the Edo period
Tokugawa family name of the ruling
dynasty during the Edo period

by both men and women in the Edo

ukiyoe pictures of the floating

period; precursor of the modern

world, depicting courtesans and

kimono

kabuki actors

n stately theatrical form patronized

Yoshiwara Edos major licensed plea-

chiefly by the court and samurai

sure quarter

Rinpa design approach developed in

Zen school of Buddhism that was

Kyoto, popularized by Ogata Krin and

especially influential in the cultural

his brother Kenzan

realm

Glossary 39

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 40

chronology

1600

Tokugawa Ieyasu defeats his rivals at the battle of

Sekigahara and gains control over Japan.

1603

Ieyasu establishes the Tokugawa shogunate.

1612

The shogunate prohibits Christianity.

1615

Osaka Castle falls to the Tokugawa, making their

unification of Japan complete.

1624

The first kabuki theater, Nakamura, opens in Edo.

1629

The government creates the first fire-fighting brigades

to protect Edo Castle.

1635

The shogunate demands alternate-year attendance

of daimyo in Edo.
Overseas travel is banned.

1639

The shogunate permits foreign trade with only the

Chinese and the Dutch out of the port of Nagasaki.

1657

Great Meireki Fire destroys half of Edo.

1663

Merchants organize an express messenger system of

runners between Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

1673

Mitsui family of merchants establishes dry-goods

stores in Kyoto and Edo.

1688 1704

Art, literature, kabuki, and bunraku (puppet theater)

flourish in the Genroku era.

1707

Mount Fuji erupts.

1718

Townspeople establish fire-fighting brigades in Edo.

1765

Suzuki Harunobu creates color woodblock prints.

1772

Fire destroys more than half the city of Edo.

1788

Great Kyoto Fire.

1794 1795
1830s

Tshsai Sharaku produces kabuki actor prints.

Katsushika Hokusais series of prints, Thirty-six Views
of Mount Fuji.
And Hiroshiges series of prints, Fifty-three Stations
of the Tkaid.

1853

Commodore Perrys ships arrive from the United

States.

1860s

Japanese prints, exported to Europe, exert profound

influence on Western artists.

1867

Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the last shogun, returns

political authority to the emperor.

1868

Imperial rule is restored (Meiji Restoration).

Edo is renamed Tokyo (Eastern Capital).

Detail from Occupations and

Activities of Each Month, The
Sakai Museum, Osaka (see
also fig. 7)

40 Chronology

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 41

activities

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 42

activities

Activities are designed for

Robes Beginner, Art

Professions Beginner/Intermediate,

Beginner, Intermediate, or

Traditional Japanese robe designs

Art, Social Studies

Advanced learners.

were often based on seasonal motifs,

Curriculum connections
are suggested for Art,

such as Kosode with net pattern,

Language Arts, Math, or

chrysanthemums, and characters and

Social Studies.

Kosode with design of Rice Cultivation in

the Four Seasons (slides 1, 9). Have students create a Japanese robe, selecting
a theme for the class as the basis for
their designs. Cut two pieces of paper
to form the front and back of the garment and join them with glue or tape
at the top and sides. Cut an opening
at the front. Now create a design that
continues from front to back or that
combines words and pictures. Be sure
to include a belt.
Folding Screens
Beginner/Intermediate, Math, Art

Work was a major theme in Edo

period art. Many paintings presented
birds-eye views of streets filled with
workshops of the professions of the
day as seen in Occupations and
Activities of Each Month (fig. 7). Ask students to select a profession from the
list below. Beginner students may
write a description or draw a picture
of the profession, while intermediate
and advanced students may research
a profession. Some questions to consider are: What was the professions
status during the Edo period? What
was its role in Edo society? Was this
profession confined to one area of Edo
or did it exist throughout the region?
Does the profession exist today? If so,

Folding screens were often used to tell

in what form? What are the similari-

stories or to show landscapes in vari-

ties and differences between Edo and

ous seasons. Usually they were

modern U.S. systems of commerce? A

designed in pairs of six panels each.

good place to begin research is the

Have students, working in groups or

U.S.-Japan Organizations Web site at

individually, fold two sheets of heavy

http://www.us-japan.org/edomatsu

paper or cardboard like an accordion,

each with six panels, which will

Actors (yakusha)

allow the screens to stand. Using col-

Blacksmiths (kaji)

ored pencils, pens, and markers, they

Bucketmakers (okeya)

can create scenes that continue

Carpenters (daiku)

across both panels. Remind students

Farmers (nmin)

to arrange the scenes, Japanese style,

Firemen (hikeshi)

from right to left! Experiment with

Fishermen (gyomin)

compositions that flow across more

Gunsmiths (teppkaji)

than one panel. Keep in mind the

Hotelkeepers (yadoya)

visual changes that occur when a

Matmakers (tatamiya)

painting is lying flat on the table and

Potters (yk)

when it is standing up in a zigzag. For

Restauranteurs (ryriya)

examples, refer to Rice Cultivation in

Silversmiths (ginzaikuya)

the Four Seasons and Mount Yoshino

Street Vendors (roten shnin)

(slides 8, 14) .

42 Activities

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 43

Vocabulary Beginner/Intermediate,

Souvenirs Intermediate,

Language Arts

Language Arts

Many Japanese words have entered

Edo tourists brought back woodblock

the English vocabulary. Have students

prints and other mementos from pop-

review the glossary and list words

ular sites such as Mount Fuji, depicted

they have heard before and put them

in Sudden Wind on a Clear Day (see

into context. Discuss other Japanese

slide 16). Ask students to bring in sou-

words they may know for example,

venirs from trips they have taken,

haiku or karate. Have beginner stu-

including ticket stubs, snow domes,

dents look for them in the dictionary.

postcards, etc. Then have students

Have intermediate students research

write an essay about their souvenir,

individual terms and prepare oral pre-

discussing its origin, why they keep it,

sentations with poster illustrations of

what it means to them.

their terms for example, Zen or

samurai.
Poetry Beginner/Intermediate,
Language Arts

Motif Intermediate/Advanced, Art

Many Japanese artists worked in more
than one medium, adapting the same
motif for use in paintings, ceramics,

The most famous Japanese poetic

and textiles. Have students select a

form is the haiku. Haiku poems are

simple motif such as a flower or an

only three lines long with a 5-7-5 syl-

animal and create a design suitable

labic pattern. Here is an example orig-

for the square or rectangular format

inally written in Japanese by Kagami

of a hanging scroll. Then, ask students

Shik (1665 1731):

to adapt it to the circular format of a

Even though afar,

A feeling of coolness comes
From those mountain pines.

plate, or to the shape of a kimono.

Students may discuss the kinds of
changes that will make their designs
look equally attractive in each format.

By the sixteenth century haiku

had become a national fad. Major

Masks Intermediate/Advanced, Art,

themes convey the ideas of what,

Performing Arts

when, and where using symbolic language. For example, clouds connote
summer, and frogs connote late
spring. Ask students to create a haiku
poem, employing symbols to express
their ideas.

N masks portray a wide range of

standardized types and emotional
states, such as N mask: Asakura j
(see slide 17). Ask students to research
n drama and the role of the mask.
Then have students create n masks
out of papier mch or colored paper
and tag board, representing various
emotions (reference: Smith and
Hazen, 1994).

Activities 43

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 44

further reading

Style Advanced, Social Studies

Books

Review/discuss with students the dif-

Addiss, Stephen, with Audrey Yoshiko

ferent components and details of Edo

Seo. How to Look at Japanese Art. New

style as described in the teaching

York, 1996.

packet. Ask students to research style

in eighteenth-century America and

Friedman, Mildred, ed. Tokyo: Form and

compare the two contemporaneous

Spirit. Minneapolis & New York, 1986.

cultures. Have students write or discuss the results. Then ask students to

Guth, Christine. Art of Edo Japan: The

imagine how historians, in the year

Artist and the City 16151868. New

2150, will describe American style

York, 1996.

today. It may be difficult for everyone

to agree on what defines American

Mason, Penelope. History of Japanese

style. Have students, working in

Art. New York, 1993.

groups or individually, create a magazine, commercial, Web site, or music

Smith, A.G., and Josey Hazen. Cut and

video presenting key characteristics of

Make Japanese Masks. Mineola, NY,

contemporary American style.

1994.
Tsunoda, Ryusaku, et al. Sources of
Japanese Tradition. New York, 1964.
Varley, H. Paul. Japanese Culture.
Honolulu, 1984.
Web sites
http://www.us-japan.org/edomatsu
http://www.askasia.org

Detail from Occupations and

Activities of Each Month, The
Sakai Museum, Osaka (see
also fig. 7)

44 Further Reading

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 45

32

slide list

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 46

slide list

slide 1
Kosode with net pattern,
chrysanthemums, and characters

slide 6
Helmet with rabbits ears

1668 1704

Wood and/or papier mch, iron, lacquer, and

Tie-dyeing, stenciled imitation tie-dyeing,

silver foil

and silk and metallic thread embroidery on figured

Height of helmet bowl 39.5 (15 1/2)

silk satin

National Museum of Japanese History, Chiba

Sixteenth century

158.5 x 139.6 (62 3/8 x 55)

Tokyo National Museum

slide 7
Jinbaori with ships sails

slide 2
Writing box with crane design in the
style of Ogata Krin

Eighteenth century

Eighteenth century

Maeda Ikutokukai Foundation, Tokyo

Wool and other textiles

85 x 100 (33 1/2 x 39 3/8)

Lacquer
4.8 x 24.2 x 21.8 (17/8 x 9 1/2 x 8 1/2)
Tokyo National Museum

slide 3
Dish with radish and waves design

Detail from a pair of six-panel screens;

c. 1680 1690s

Each 151 x 347 (59 1/2 x 136 5/8)

Nabeshima ware

Kyoto National Museum

Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue and

Important Cultural Property

overglaze enamels
Diameter 20.4 (8 1/8)
Imaemon Museum of Ceramic Antiques, Saga

slide 4
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797 1861)
He Looks Fierce, but Hes Really
a Nice Person
from an untitled series of composite portraits
c. 1847 1848
Color woodblock print

ink and light color on paper

slide 9
Kosode with design of Rice Cultivation
in the Four Seasons
Early nineteenth century
Paste-resist dye on figured silk satin
167.2 x 124 (65 7/8 x 48 7/8)
Tokyo National Museum

slide 10
Firemans jacket with design of waves
and dragon

Approx. 38 x 26 (15 x 10 1/4 )

Paste-resist dye on plain-weave cotton, quilted

Private Collection, Hygo

81.9 x 94 (32 1/4 x 37)

slide 5
Miyamoto Musashi (1584 1645)
Hotei and Fighting Cocks

46 Slide List

slide 8
Kusumi Morikage (c. 1620 1690)
Rice Cultivation in the Four Seasons

Tokyo National Museum

slide 11
Gion Festival

Seventeenth century

Seventeenth century

Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Detail from a pair of six-panel screens;

71 x 32.7 (28 x 12 7/8)

ink, color, and gold on paper

Fukuoka Art Museum

Each 152.5 x 356.5 (60 x 140 3/8)

Important Art Object

Kyoto National Museum

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:47 AM

Page 47

slide 12
Hakuin Ekaku (1685 1768)
Daruma (Bodhidharma)

slide 17
N mask: Asakura j
(old man)

Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Carved wood, gesso, and pigment

134.2 x 91.8 (52 7/8 x 36 1/8)

19.7 x 16.2 (7 3/4 x 6 3/8)

Seikenji, Shizuoka

Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art

slide 13
Attributed to Katsushika Hokusai
(1760 1849)
Buddhist Priest Warding off a Demon

slide 18
Kabuki costume with target
and arrows

c. 1845

Silk and metallic thread embroidered appliqus

Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

with ink on silk satin

150 x 240 (59 x 94 1/2)

110 x 131 (43 1/4 x 51 5/8)

Sjiji, Tokyo

Tokyo National Museum

slide 14
Watanabe Shik (1683 1755)
Mount Yoshino

slide 19
Hikone Screen

Early eighteenth century

Detail from one of six panels (originally connected

Detail from a pair of six-panel screens;

in screen format); ink, color, and gold on paper

ink, color, and gold on paper

Assembled 94.6 x 274.8 (37 1/4 x 108 1/8)

Seventeenth century

Nineteenth century

c. 1620s 1640s

Each 150 x 362 (59 x 142 /2)

Hikone Castle Museum, Shiga

Private Collection, Kyoto

National Treasure

slide 15
Ogata Kenzan (1663 1743)
The Eight-Fold Bridge

slide 20
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1754 1806)
The Fancy-Free Type

Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper

from Ten Types of Female Physiognomy

35.6 x 40.6 (14 x 16)

c. 1792 1793

Private Collection, Kyoto

Color woodblock print with mica

Important Cultural Property

37.8 x 24.3 (14 7/8 x 9 1/2)

Tokyo National Museum

slide 16
Katsushika Hokusai (1760 1849)
Sudden Wind on a Clear Day

Important Cultural Property

from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

c. 1830 1832
Color woodblock print
Approx 26 x 38 (10 1/4 x 15)
Tokyo National Museum

Slide List 47

edo teach.qxd4

12/9/98

10:48 AM

Education Division
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C. 20565

Page 48