Bag of Historical Treasures and People of Japan and China (Ehon shahō-bukuro), 8th of 10 Volumes Possibly 1770

Curator: This spread comes from the eighth volume of Tachibana Morikuni's "Bag of Historical Treasures and People of Japan and China," a series of ten books. Looking at these pages, I feel a stark stillness, a sense of nature observed in exquisite detail. Editor: Yes, these birds—hawks, I think—perched amidst pine and rock, project a certain aloofness, don't they? I immediately wonder about the context, the social meanings encoded in these depictions. Were hawks symbols of power, nobility, or something else entirely in the Japan of Morikuni's time? Curator: Possibly all of that! Morikuni, who lived from 1679 to 1748, was illustrating a world of both observation and aspiration. I see precision in every line, yet also a kind of playful curiosity. Editor: I agree. And the text accompanying each image, it reminds me how crucial it is to approach art with an awareness of the cultural narratives that shape our perceptions. Curator: Absolutely. Art is never just an image, is it? Editor: Never. It's a complex dialogue with history. Curator: It truly is, leaving me to wonder what future dialogues this art will inspire!