View of Ise Divers Processing Abalone (Ise no ama nagaawabi tsukuri no zu) 

Editor: This is Utagawa Kunisada’s woodblock print, "View of Ise Divers Processing Abalone." The women, seemingly nude, are processing their catch. It's quite intimate and direct. What historical context might shed light on this scene? Curator: This print gives us a glimpse into the lives of women who defied societal norms. Abalone divers, often women, held a unique economic power. The seeming nudity challenges Western notions of modesty. How might viewing this through a feminist lens reshape our understanding of agency and labor in 19th-century Japan? Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered their economic role and how it intertwines with perceptions of their bodies. Curator: Exactly! It invites us to question the dominant narratives and appreciate the complexities of gender, labor, and representation.