Sei Shōnagon Pin Brooch
The first pin from my riso print series, Defying Tradition: Japanese Women Who Changed the World, is author, poet, and court lady Sei Shōnagon.
Shōnagon was an Imperial court lady who served Empress Teishi during the middle Heian era. At age sixteen, she married a government official and gave birth to a son. Shōnagon’s relationship with fellow writer and court lady Murasaki Shikibu was strained. The courts of Empress Teishi and co-empress Empress Shōshi encouraged rivalry between the writers, pitting the women against each other, despite the possibility that the two had never met. Shōnagon was famously ridiculed in Murasaki’s diary where she complained, “Shōnagon was dreadfully conceited. She thought herself so clever and littered her writing with Chinese characters; but if you examined them closely, they left a great deal to be desired.”
Shōnagon’s work, The Pillow Book, was a collection of poems, anecdotes, and essays giving insight to her life as a court lady. As it was originally meant to be a private work for her enjoyment only, she was able to freely write about her thoughts and opinions that she was not allowed to state publicly. As a result, the book became extremely valuable as a historical document.
Both Shōnagon and Murasaki, as women, had an active role in Heian-era society. Japanese kana, the writing system they used in their writing, was considered “the people’s language” in comparison to the formal Chinese, and made them far more popular and influential for centuries to come.
Product details
This gold-coloured hard enamel pin brooch measures 38mm x 40mm. It features fine screenprinted details and has two rubber clutches on the reverse side for extra safety and stability. Each comes displayed on a special gold foil-stamped backing card.
Delivery times & prices
We ship worldwide. 日本へ国際郵便で送ります。
UK deliveries: 3-4 working days via Royal Mail 1st class
International deliveries available via Royal Mail International Standard Airmail
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For more information on shipping times for international deliveries, please check the delivery & returns page.