In pre-Edo period (1615-1868) Japan, only aristocrats and members of the high-ranking warrior class took part in highbrow traditions such as the tea ceremony, ikebana, reading classical literature and art appreciation. However that changed with the rise of the Edo shogunate. A newly stable society and environment enabled wealthy commoners to also dabble in the arts. It was the birth of a dynamic, popular culture.

Vogue in Japan focuses on four thematic groups: the fashion of married women, the fashion of people from different social classes (women of the warrior class, of wealthy merchants, high-ranking courtesans, and townspeople), the fashion of lingerie, and, finally, men’s fashion. What emerges through the ukiyo-e on view is the rich culture and style from the 1600s to the 1800s.

  Purchase "Edo Beauties in Ukiyo-e: The James A. Michener Collection" from the Academy Shop.