Chikuunsai, Japan, active late 19th-early 20th century/ Wisteria Maiden/ Ivory with staining/ 2 7/16 x 1 1/8 x 1 in. © 2007 Museum Associates/LACMA

  The scenes of domestic activities, host of people one might encounter on the street, and miniature versions of household objects included in this installation all represent familiar elements in the daily lives of pre-modern Japanese.

    People playing games, dressing and grooming themselves, or engaged in their livelihoods are shown. Figures at work include itinerant peddlers, storytellers, and laborers.

    Various forms of entertainment are represented by wrestlers, actors, and dancers. Urban life included animals as well. Foreigners and their exotic animals captured the imagination of the Japanese.

    Some animals were pets, others provided labor and transportation. The tools, toys, and implements used in the course of daily activities included money, cooking utensils, toys and dolls, and for some tea or sake utensils.