Posted by Peter Gallagher (213.84.198.104) on October 11, 2004 at 22:24:51:
I'm hoping somebody can shed some light on why everyone and anyone portrayed in Ukiyo-e, be they male, female, rich poor, young or old, invariably have the shortest nails imaginable.
Of course, the short answer is : "because that's how they kept their nails", but as I'm sure you can imagine; my answer to that is yet another question, i.e. "why?".
In other societies, ones nails - especially fingernails - can say a lot about the bearer and throughot history; our nails have been used as everything from a statement of status (e.g. "I have long nails because I don't have to do manual labour which would be hindered by having long nails"), through to simply the latest fashion and the "nail-polish" colour of the month...
Suffice it to say that nails and nail care and fashion are big business - at least: certainly so in Western society.
But in Ukiyo-e, which spanned roughly three hundred years, the nails of both the hands and feet are all invariably short.
With the exception of some supernatural creatures and mythical half-beasts, I can't recall having ever seen a single exception.
Hairstyles changed, teeth were blackened, dress followed fashiion very consciously, but the nails seem to have been considered indifferently ...
I find it rather curious.
I found some corroboration on the web that nails are consistently protrayed as short in Ukiyo-e - but no reason given for it.
Anybody?
regards,
Peter