Battledore and Shuttlecock

This painting depicts a New Year’s party in which five girls play a game of battledore and shuttlecock (similar to badminton, but with paddles instead of racquets). They stand before an open doorway trimmed on either side with kadomatsu (pine of the doorway), which is traditionally used at the New Year. Above the door is another seasonal decoration made up of fern leaves, smaller yuzuri (evergreen) leaves, a lobster, and a peach, all emblematic of long life and good fortune.