Girl playing battledore and shuttlecock

About this artwork

Contains signature.

Art Historical Context

This charming painting by Hishikawa Sori captures a young girl engaged in a spirited game of battledore and shuttlecock, a traditional Japanese pastime similar to badminton. Created during the Edo period (1615–1868), the work belongs to the ukiyo-e genre, which celebrated the fleeting pleasures of everyday life through graceful depictions of people, customs, and seasonal activities. As a kakemono, or hanging scroll, it was designed for intimate viewing in a Japanese home or tea room, where its delicate lines and lively subject would evoke a sense of playful innocence. Ukiyo-e artists like Sori often portrayed children and women in moments of leisure, reflecting broader cultural values that cherished harmony with nature and simple joys amid the bustling urban culture of Edo Japan. The presence of the artist’s signature adds authenticity and connects the piece to the rich tradition of Japanese painting that flourished under the Tokugawa shogunate. Now part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection through the generosity of Charles Lang Freer, this work offers modern viewers a window into centuries-old Japanese childhood and artistic expression.