Awabi Shell Diver and Children with text beginning "Kyō wa ne no hi no ama naraba kami matsu o oda ni hikamashi mono o...", from the Tosa Diary series (Shōfudai Hisakataya Bunbunsha Tosa nikki), with poems by Kajitsute Tokiwa and associates c. 1815 - 1820

Editor: This print, "Awabi Shell Diver and Children" by Kubo Shunman, part of the Tosa Diary series, shows a woman diver and children next to a large woven basket. The text above them suggests a poem. How does this image speak to the role and representation of women within its cultural context? Curator: It's a fascinating question. The poem references the “Day of the Rat,” a day for celebrating children, but what strikes me is the portrayal of the *ama*, the diver. She’s not just a mother, she's a worker. Consider her posture, the way she is framed alongside the labor she performs. This challenges conventional depictions of women in art, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, it shifts the focus from purely domestic roles to one of economic contribution. It also prompts a discussion around class. Were these divers romanticized or was their labor recognized? Curator: Precisely. Shunman gives visibility to a segment of society often overlooked in artistic representation, opening a dialogue on gender, class, and labor. It encourages us to reconsider established narratives. Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: Art is never neutral, is it? It always reflects—and sometimes resists—the dominant social forces.