Shoguns, Samurai and Geisha: The Visual World of Edo Japan (1603-1868): The Rise of Urban Culture in Tokugawa and Meiji Japan

Ryoan-ji Garden, Kyoto

Describe the context of the Tokugawa Shogunate

emerged from dissatisfaction of emperor/rebellion against imperial rule of Japan, followed neo-confucian norms of hierarchy, the emperor is only a figurehead, adoption of Zen, take advantage of topography= mountain metaphor for something bigger, merchants and tradesmen at bottom=no social capital, establish militaristic visual culture

describe the three class types in the shogunate

shoguns: regional lord of winning clan, daimiyo: lords that own land, overthrow emperor and declare themselves the defacto rulers, samurai: bodyguards that defend the honor of the clan

describe the Zen practices and its significance

1. Zazen: seated meditation/mindfulness, restraint and internal discipline of shogunate, reject opulence of past, 2. Koan: philosophical practice-gathering of zen followers and leader asks non-literal questions, 3. Samu: Physical dimensions of zen- repetitive physical labor ie. monks waking up and re-arranging the pebbles in the garden into specific patterns by hand

Describe the context of the garden construction

borrowed scenery: borrows whats already there, rely on topography already present at place, garden precedes the creation of the temple around it=human intervention at bare minimum

Describe the layout of the garden and its significance

15 arrangements: rocks surrounded by moss, surrounded by circular pebbles, tools for meditation that nurture discipline, efficiency, reduce to signature part= visual monotony: rock=mountain and pebbles=water

Describe the viewers relationship to the garden

viewer is elevated on veranda=never able to view all 15 arrangements: encourage restraint, discipline mind, partial concealment- something always implied and away from viewers scrutiny

Anonymous

Tagasode (“Whose Sleeves?”), pair of six folding screens, ink, color and gold on paper, 17^th century (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Describe the context of the Whose sleeves screens

shoguns cautious when borrowing from China, self isolation: no foreigners allowed without proper papers=sentenced to death, desire to re-discover inherently Japanese things: celebrate partial concealment, Shoguns commissioned this and specific crafters make it: gold background= stamp that shoguns payed for it

Where would the whose sleeves have been kept and its significance

placed in residence: rely on gendered space, 1st=public affairs of men, 2nd=female inner quarters: folding screens and feminine space

Describe the overall composition of the whose sleeves screen and its significance

gold background: gold leaf with pigment=exception made because of purifying quality, ornate kimonos and under-kimonos stand out: worn by women of highest echelons of society, layers removed gradually, woman gone in state of undress: her presence implied and purposefully left out away from voyeuristic viewer=inherent eroticism, poems that go with it are inherently erotic

Describe the effect of the whose sleeves screen

sets tone for visual culture: accept certain forms of eroticism

Utamaro (1753-1806)

Scenes in Yoshiwara, ukiyo-e woodblock print, late 18^th century

Describe the context of the scenes in Yoshiwara

Oiran: courtesan vs. Geisha: hostess- not have sex with client, shoguns and economy suffered because of self-imposed isolation: distract townspeople and merchants and subdue dissent with erotic images, prints flourish: ukiyo-e= floating world: sphere within Edo, ephemeral and fleeting beauty of romantic and sexual encounters

Describe the overall composition of scenes in Yoshiwara and its significance

more pornographic: depict sexual encounters in brothels, not romantic bc many woman dies from STDs, folded screens: not part of permanent structure, easy to manipulate part of home, new architecture in Japan, spacial dividers to expose or conceal, imply other sexual act behind screen that viewer can’t see=cropping technique

Describe the figures in scenes in Yoshiwara and its significance

woman is Oiran and man is client, no distinction between men and woman’s face= devoid of individuality and substance=people are tools and controlled, more concealed, less body shown, textile and texture palpable: flows, emphasis on clothes and design=return to inherently Japanese themes

Utamaro (1753-1806)

Woman and her Mirror, ukiyo-e woodblock print, late 18^th century

Describe the overall composition of the woman and her mirror and its significance

neck and shoulders exposed= slight eroticism, robe sliding down, partial concealment of face, virtual surface interact with viewer

Eishi (1756-1829)

Geisha preparing for entertainment, ukiyo-e woodblock print, 1794

Describe the overall composition of the Geisha print and its significance

geisha never depicted in compromising position: engaged in beauty, with instruments or scholarly activity, geisha in preparation, faces identical: forcefully remove individuality=archetype of beautiful woman

Hokusai (1760-1849)

36 Views of Mount Fuji, a series of woodblock prints, 1830

Describe the context of the mt. fuji prints and its significance

prints were collaborative efforts, artists designed and collaborate with carvers who chip away at cherrywood block, printers print, commissioners distribute art: stifled creativity

Describe the overall composition of the Mount fuji print and its significance

metaphor for permanence, rigidity, and historical might of Japan: Mt.Fuji, use nature not women, depict during different seasons and times of day: fluctuated between accuracy and compositional obstruction and stylization, Prussian blue already used elsewhere- first time mixed with indigo in Japan

Hokusai (1760-1849)

“The Great Wave” 36 Views of Mount Fuji, a series of woodblock prints, 1830

describe the context of the ukiyo-e prints

collaborative effort, publisher and designer have to reach an agreement, Prussian blue discovered by accident in Berlin: part of Nagasaki where Dutch traders brought small amounts=artist brave to use non-Japanese pigments= entered Western perspectives

Describe the overall composition of the great wave and its significance

mt.Fuji in background: marker of inherently Japanese unburdened from foreign influence, unstructured and chaotic waves: scary, boat and fisherman disappear, individual experience dwarfed by water but mountain stands=reminder of steadfast and stability of Japan and remaining faithful subject because Shogun not going anywhere, more cartoonish and stylized

describe the message of the great wave

reminder of self imposed isolationism: consolidated power, appalled by European colonial projects= increased domestic travel creating sense of place in inherently Japanese culture

Kabuki play and costumes, early 17^th century

Describe the context of the Kabuki plays

originally devised and coined by only women: performed outside and aimed at merchants, performed by lower classes of women who needed money, became a sensation: drew people from different social classes, Shoguns not like this because the courtesans made it unmoral=banned outright and encourage cross dressing

Describe how Kabuki plays were different from Western theatre

combines theatre, musical performance, and comedy, stylized and exaggerated, makeup established the character

Describe the makeup and characters in the Kabuki plays and its significance

1. male protagonist=shogun or samurai, 2. female protagonist, 3. villain=warlord or playboy, 4. clown, characters established in advance with makeup and gestures, white base with color, demands fluency from audience

What was the point of the Kabuki plays and what were they about

to distract the masses instead of porn, historical epics, romantic or personal, and pure music