Chinese Poet Li Bo (699-762) Drinking Sake from a Large Cup with Three Japanese Women 

Curator: This print by Teisai Hokuba, likely created in the early 19th century, depicts the Chinese poet Li Bo sharing sake with Japanese women. The print is held in the Harvard Art Museums collection and gives us a window into cross-cultural fascinations of the time. Editor: I’m immediately struck by the contrast! The rough-hewn quality of the woodblock print itself juxtaposed with the refined subject matter – this moment of leisurely drinking. It’s intriguing how the labor and the luxury play off each other. Curator: Indeed. Hokuba was part of the ukiyo-e tradition, catering to a merchant class with a taste for both the everyday and the idealized. The portrayal of Li Bo, a figure from Chinese history, speaks to a broader cultural exchange. Editor: Precisely. Consider the materiality: the wood, the pigments, the very act of carving and printing—all industrial processes transforming literary and historical themes into a commodity for consumption. Curator: It highlights how artists adapt and reimagine historical narratives for a contemporary audience, reflecting their own cultural and societal values. Editor: It’s a fascinating blend of the historical and the material, prompting us to consider both the subject matter and the means of its production.