Gate to Iyeyasu's Tomb c. 1887

Curator: Looking at Adolfo Farsari's photograph, "Gate to Iyeyasu's Tomb," one can't help but note how it captures a sacred transition. Editor: It feels so still, doesn't it? Almost like a stage set waiting for a drama to unfold. Those guardian figures are so stoic! Curator: Exactly! They are Komainu, lion-dogs, protective symbols guarding sacred spaces against evil. They act as liminal guardians, signifying the threshold. Editor: I love the way the light dapples through the trees. It gives the whole scene a kind of hushed reverence. Did Farsari hand-color this? The tones are so soft. Curator: He did. Farsari, active in Japan from the 1860s, expertly blended Western photographic techniques with Japanese aesthetics and the hand-coloring lends an ethereal quality, softening the starkness of death. Editor: It makes me think about how every culture marks these boundaries – life and death, sacred and profane. This image certainly evokes a strong sense of place and tradition. Curator: Indeed, Farsari offers us a glimpse into a world where the past and present meet, mediated by powerful symbolic forms. Editor: It’s a beautiful reminder that even in stillness, there’s a whole story waiting to be told.