FIVE IN SERIES OF THE HISAGATAYA CLUB (MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS), "GIRL WITH BIWA" 

Curator: This woodblock print, "Girl with Biwa," is by Yashima Gakutei, part of the "Five in Series of the Hisagataya Club (Musical Instruments)". Editor: It's stunning—the intricate patterns, and the delicate, almost melancholic expression on her face as she holds the biwa. Curator: The Hisagataya Club was known for commissioning prints, thus shaping artistic output through its patronage. I wonder about the socio-economic factors that enabled these collaborative works. Editor: And consider the labor involved in carving each color layer, the craft of it. These prints weren't just art, but commodities, widely circulated. Curator: Right. We can see how these artistic clubs influenced the market for prints and the development of Ukiyo-e as a genre. Editor: Seeing it this way adds another layer, doesn't it? Beyond the image, we glimpse the systems of production and consumption.