(New Year's Decorations) c. 19th century

This is a Japanese New Year’s greeting card, or *nengajō*, by Kōbi, rendered in ink and color on paper. The arrangement presents a seemingly casual assortment of objects and text. Dominating the composition is a diagonal orientation featuring lines of calligraphy balanced by a cluster of celebratory objects: fish, a lacquered bowl, and arrows. Observe the considered contrast between the meticulous calligraphy and the more freely rendered images, a play between control and spontaneity. The overall effect challenges our expectations of spatial logic. The objects, though representational, are flattened, existing more as signs than as volumetric forms. We might consider this subversion of traditional perspective as a semiotic strategy. Each element functions as a signifier within a cultural code, inviting us to decode the underlying meanings related to New Year celebrations and symbolic gestures of renewal. Ultimately, it is in the delicate balance of form and content that the *nengajō* achieves its unique aesthetic and communicative power.