Waterfall of Flowers: Caring for the Aged in the Quarter (Hana no taki sato no yoro), from the series Comical Dances of the Yoshiwara (Yoshiwara niwaka) c. 1795

Editor: This is Kitagawa Utamaro's "Waterfall of Flowers: Caring for the Aged in the Quarter," a late Edo period print. The figures are so dynamic, but I'm curious about the title's reference to aging. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Notice the gourds and maple leaves; gourds symbolize longevity, while maple leaves can represent the passage of time and the beauty found even in decline. The title itself might be an ironic commentary. Editor: I see, so it's about layers of symbolism and cultural context. That's fascinating.