Women sewing, a print

From: Japan
Date: Edo period, about AD 1795-96

Sewing was done by Japanese women, who often spent their time apart from the men of the family. This print shows three women working together on their sewing on a hot summer's day. On the right, two of them stretch and fold a red silk sash with a tie-dyed pattern of white starfishes. On the left, one woman is holding up a sash, maybe to check the repair she has just made.

Look for other members of the family - a teenage girl peering into a small cage, which holds her pet insect; a little boy teasing a cat with its reflection in a mirror; and a baby playing with its mother's fan.