Plate

anonymous, c. 1675 - c. 1699

Depicted on the rim are two women reading and a woman at a table with a brush. Could they be involved in poetry? In earlier times, men penned poetry from an imaginary female perspective. As of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), women wrote poetry themselves, and an authentic female voice resonated more often. Poetry was an acceptable vehicle for women to express their feelings in all strata of society.