Okuko Hikozaemon Protects the Tokugawa Shogun from the Spear of Goro Matabei Mototsugu, from the series "The Siege of Osaka" (Osaka Gunki no Uchi) Possibly 1884

Editor: This is Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's "Okuko Hikozaemon Protects the Tokugawa Shogun," part of the "Siege of Osaka" series. The figures are so dynamic, and the patterned armor is fascinating. What can you tell me about the context of its creation? Curator: Consider the woodblock print itself. It’s a mass-produced object, bringing stories of power and conflict to a wider audience. How does the materiality of the print – the paper, the ink, the labor involved – shape our understanding of this historical moment? Editor: So, the print isn't just depicting the battle, but it's also a product of the culture surrounding it? Curator: Precisely. Think about who had access to these prints and how they might have interpreted them. The means of production and distribution become critical lenses. What stories were being promoted, and who was consuming them? Editor: That's a really different way of thinking about it. I hadn't considered the print itself as a cultural artifact. Curator: Exactly! It shifts our focus from just the narrative to the mechanisms of its creation and consumption.