Women in Front of the Iwaki Masuya Department Store

Artist Kikukawa Eizan 菊川英山 (Japanese, 1787–1867)

Dateearly 1800s

Mediumwoodblock print; ink and color on paper

DimensionsVertical ōban: 36.8 x 25.1 cm (14 1/2 x 9 7/8 in.)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection

Terms

Japanese Print

Object number1901.59.2623

Label TextPictures of beautiful women were often vehicles to portray popular fashion, color palates, and textile patterns, which collectively emphasized aspirational beauty standards. This print depicts three stylish women (one with a child) swathed in layers of vibrant kimono. They stand in front of the Iwaki Matsuya Department Store, which specialized in silks and other fine textiles and is still revered as a carrier of the most desirable fashions of the season. The wide variations in each woman’s garments, hair styles, and shoes demonstrate their agency in constructing an individualized personal style, which distinguishes them from many other beauties portrayed in this exhibition.

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