Tracy Adams and Ian Fookes also leverage the early modern French court as a basis for their comparative study. However, they provide a less obvious, but intriguing, comparison with Japan in their examination of court women and the role of courtesans in both contexts. Adams and Fookes parallel the Ôoku, or “great interior,” of the Japanese court with that of early modern France and also compare French salon culture with the Yoshiwara, which was home to elegant and refined courtesans. They reveal that, although France lacked a true courtesan culture in the same overt way as could be found in the Yoshiwara, both courts offer interesting similarities in terms of the framework of court culture to which women had to conform to thrive and survive. Author affiliation details are correct at time of print publication.
Search for publications