Samurai Wakashu and Maid, Isoda Koryusai

Isoda Koryusai, Second half of the 18th century, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper; 19 x 26 cm

This image depicts a sexually intimate scene from a bed chamber. The room has sliding doors that are open to a deck area and a partially vegetated yard, scrolls with writing on the walls, and a small decorative lion sitting atop a stool holding incense. The focus of the scene is a samurai wakashu, wakashu being a young man, holding a maid from behind. His left hand is reaching down the front of her attire towards her covered breast and the right towards her covered genitalia. Both are wearing kimono, however the maidens legs are partially exposed, revealing her to be the intended sexualized focus of the image. The wakashu is wearing more traditionally masculine clothing while the maiden is wearing a feminine kimono, the differences distinguished by the pants the man is wearing, as well as the wider shoulders of the garment. The maiden is also wearing more layers of clothing, and an alluring red is used in both of their garments. The wakashu has two samurai swords, katana, one on the floor behind him and one attached, as well as a symbol on his sleeve showing his clan. The wakashu has the shaved back of the head and the woman has a decorative comb in her more complexly styled hair. There is written text at the bottom left and right of the figures. This image not only shows a wakashu with a woman, but also the masculine presentation he takes through clothing and behavior. It also shows that the social status of a wakashu was still relevant and an option in how they presented. The sexualization of the woman in this scene also contributes to the idea that wakashu are more of a sexual distinction rather than gender distinction, because a common theme is that the more femininely the wakashu, or any figure in popular art such as woodblock prints, are presented, the more their depiction is sexualized.