Iwai Hanshirō IV as San, the maid servant of Ukiyonosuke, actually Saeda, the younger sister of Sabanosuke 1795

Curator: My initial impression is one of deliberate awkwardness. There's a strangeness to the figure’s features… it’s captivating. Editor: Right, it's almost confrontational, isn't it? The material reality is starkly fascinating; the texture of the woodblock jumps out at me. Shall we dive in? We're looking at a print by Tōshūsai Sharaku from around 1795, titled "Iwai Hanshirō IV as San, the maid servant of Ukiyonosuke, actually Saeda, the younger sister of Sabanosuke.” Quite a mouthful, isn’t it? Curator: A great unmasking embodied in the title, the layers of identity carefully considered! The print depicts the actor Iwai Hanshirō IV, playing the role of San. But this isn’t just a portrait, it's a Kabuki character rendered through the sharp eye of Sharaku. See how the exaggerated features speak to more than just the actor’s physical form? It’s a caricature, and it embodies aspects of the character. There's almost an element of playful deceit present, right? Editor: The material production, of course, is essential to consider. Think about the painstaking work carving those blocks for each color. How do these processes enable and constrain expression? Curator: And beyond mere aesthetics, such works, by presenting well-known cultural personas, allowed 18th-century audiences to find a sense of familiarity or recognition, while simultaneously dissecting societal personas with its exaggeration, thus imbuing deeper symbolic significance within the cultural norms of the day. The slight smile can be read as concealing a plethora of meanings, perhaps a reflection on deception or simply wry awareness. The choice of costume is also strategic, indicating position within this elaborate societal play. Editor: The composition and scale also contribute to its striking presence, a reminder that prints such as this circulated amongst a rising mercantile class, avid consumers who clamored for inexpensive and stylish material goods and cultural commodities. Its impact extends beyond the visual to address socio-economic forces. The subtle undulation of the stripes draws one’s eye. Curator: Absolutely. So much unfolds from a single, carefully wrought image, and indeed, this work functions almost as a coded form for various levels of socio-cultural consumption! Editor: And these impressions from layered color woodblocks—how did its production shape, refine, and transform our appreciation for the represented subject? Fascinating food for thought, right?