Magic (Tezuma), from the series "Various Arts (Shogei tsukushi)" c. 1811 - 1813

Hotei Gosei created this woodblock print, "Magic (Tezuma)", around the 1830s. Dominating the composition is a covered box adorned with hourglass symbols, a motif we recognize as representing time and change. The hourglass, present in various cultures from ancient Rome to the present, speaks to our obsession with measuring and understanding the ephemeral nature of existence. Consider how, in medieval Europe, the hourglass became a memento mori, reminding us of our inevitable end. Yet here, in Gosei's print, the symbol takes on a new dimension, perhaps suggesting the magician's ability to manipulate time itself. The cup and ribbons further enhance this sense of mystery and transformation. Magic, after all, is an ancient practice, tied to our deepest hopes and fears. The act of illusion, of making something appear or disappear, engages our subconscious desires to control the uncontrollable. This print captures that powerful, cyclical return to the mystical, reminding us that the human fascination with magic endures across time and cultures.