Previous Back To Gallery Next

From an artist's conception. Note the structural and decorative variations as compared to the Japanese Meiji rickshaw.  We know that the ickshaws are toting women because we can see their ultra-long sleeves dangling outside the rickshaw in front of the concealing curtain, a subtle hint as to the aristocratic passengers within. This picture is inspired by the Heian period (10th c. AD) novel, the Tale of Genji,  by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, said to be the first novel written by any woman in world history. There are many sites on the web about this period and author. For a start, see http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine9.html 
(Note on spelling rickshaw/ricksha: Any references to Japanese conveyances of this sort are spelled conventionally as "rickshaw"; references to these conveyances in Sotuh Asia spell the word as it is pronounced: "ricksha"-- technically it would be spelled rikśaa, but we aren't getting totally technical on this website.)