Japan c. 1872 - 1887

Curator: This photograph, entitled "Japan," comes to us from the studio of Adolfo Farsari, active in Yokohama during the late 19th century. Editor: It strikes me as both serene and subtly melancholic, this black lacquer box ornamented with a gold sailboat and cranes. Curator: The birds are highly symbolic, representing longevity and good fortune within Japanese visual traditions. Editor: Indeed. The Western gaze, evident in Farsari’s work, often romanticized these symbols, overlooking the socio-political realities of the time. Curator: Still, there's a universal appeal, isn’t there, in these emblems of hope and perseverance? Editor: Perhaps. Though, to me, it's more about acknowledging the layered narratives embedded within such idealized imagery. Curator: A good point. It's a reminder that symbols hold different meanings depending on who is interpreting them. Editor: Exactly, and it's through that intersectionality that art truly comes alive.