Send message to Author

Paper short abstract

This presentation explores the intertextuality of the Genji hinagata, a kimono pattern book printed in 1687, and the larger genre of 17th century popular literature aimed at women through close reading of the depictions of the Somedono Consort and Kyōgoku Consort.

Paper long abstract

This presentation explores the intertextuality of a kimono pattern book titled the Genji hinagata printed in1687 that features twenty-seven patterns inspired by famous women from classical Japanese literature and history. Each of these patterns is accompanied by a short passage introducing the woman. These passages make sartorial puns and give sales points along with an explanation of who the woman was. Though the title of the book is derived from The Tale of Genji, sixteen women from other tales and historical figures are also depicted.

Recent scholarship has considered the ways Edo period townspeople read, rewrote, illustrated, and subverted the classical Japanese literary canon (Moretti, 2016: Mostow, 2024). Moreover, Moretti (2013) established that the Onna enshi kyōkun kagami is an erotic re-writing of the Onna genji kyōkun kagami (Women's mirror of Genji lessons) and Bugno (2018) demonstrated how the Meijo nasake kurabe (Famous Women: Comparisons of Affection) was utilized as a source for erotic art. The mining classical literature for content to produce erotic re-imaginings is clearly documented. Many early Edo kimono patterns are likewise confirmed to be inspiried by classical literary themes. However, the text of the Genji hinagata, rather than the patterns, has not yet been discussed in the context of the larger genre of 17th century popular literature aimed at women and girls.

To illustrate the intertextual allusions between the Genji hinagata, Usuyuki monogatari (The Tale of Light Snow), Meijo Nasake Kurabe (Famous Women: Comparisons of Affection), as well as the Genpei Seisuiki (The Rise and Fall of The Genji and The Heike), this presentation will discuss the stories of the Somedono Consort and Kyōgoku Consort. These two women’s stories can only be deciphered in conjunction with other 17th century texts. This presentation will position the Genji hinagata not simply as a sartorial text, but firmly in the genre of “deportment manuals” (ōraimono) for women.