Twee geluksgoden en een tempeldanseres 1826

Nakamura Hōchū created this print, "Two Gods of Fortune and a Temple Dancer," in the late 18th or early 19th century, a period of cultural and economic change in Japan. The artwork presents a trio engaged in what seems a playful, yet perhaps complex, dance. The figures are identified by their attire and attributes, which tie them to notions of wealth, celebration, and ritual performance. The dancer, caught mid-motion, extends her hands to the deities. Her kimono, adorned with floral patterns, drapes over her body as a marker of identity and status. While seemingly lighthearted, the artwork hints at underlying social dynamics. The temple dancer may reflect the performative aspects of gender and class. The deities, embodiments of luck, seem to be playing along. We are left to consider the nature of fortune itself, and the roles that we play in its making.