Two Women Stretching Cloth c. 1766 - 1768

Editor: This is Suzuki Harunobu's "Two Women Stretching Cloth." I’m struck by the way the material culture, the fabrics and tools, seems to define their world. What's your take on this print? Curator: It's fascinating how Harunobu elevates the labor of textile production. Consider the woodblock printing process itself, a meticulous craft mirroring the work depicted. The stretched cloth, the bowls – they aren't just props, they’re central to understanding women's roles and the means of production in Edo-period Japan. Editor: So, you're saying the *making* of the print reflects the making of the cloth? Curator: Exactly! The materiality of both the artwork and the scene within speak volumes about the value and process embedded in these everyday objects. How does considering this context shift your initial perspective? Editor: It makes me think about the unseen labor behind even the simplest things. Curator: Precisely, and how art can reveal that.