Enceclopedie van Noh toneelstukken - deel vier 1925 - 1926

Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the quietude of this piece. It feels so restrained, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at here is "Encyclopedia of Noh Plays - Part Four," created by Tsukioka Kōgyo between 1925 and 1926. It's currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The piece incorporates print, textile, paper, and ink. Curator: The patterned textile, almost a muted sage, provides such a subtle, textural ground. I can see floral motifs winding across it, a soft contrast to the more rigid rectangle layered on top. It’s interesting how the flatness emphasizes the materiality. Editor: Absolutely. Ukiyo-e, as a printmaking tradition, held significant cultural weight. Noh theatre itself was an important form of Japanese art patronage, blending music, dance and drama, especially amongst elite Samurai classes. Kōgyo played a crucial role documenting Noh plays for modern audiences. Curator: Semiotically, the vertical script centralizes our attention, immediately conveying a sense of tradition and scholarly discipline. The balance created between the script and surrounding space projects serenity and poise. It is as if the object itself is meditating! Editor: Considering that, the book’s role within Meiji-era Japan becomes clearer. The encyclopedic effort can be interpreted as both an archive and preservation. It's not merely documentation but an act of cultural survival in a period of significant Westernization. Curator: You’re so right; that sense of preserving the aesthetic memory really underscores the emotional strength that resides within the work. Thanks, this perspective refines my understanding of this work and brings forth appreciation of the art. Editor: I appreciate you pointing to its delicate strength, that it visually presents an archive within something simultaneously aesthetically complex, socially historical and profoundly beautiful.