Page from Hagoromo (Feathered Robe) c. 1984 - 1986

Curator: Here we have a page from "Hagoromo (Feathered Robe)" by Matsubara Naoko, residing in the Harvard Art Museums. The piece illustrates a segment of a classic Noh play. Editor: The woodcut gives me an immediate sense of serenity tinged with melancholy, like looking at a memory fading at the edges. Curator: Observe how the artist utilizes line and form to convey depth and movement. The stark contrast emphasizes the symbolic weight of the tree, almost like an axis mundi. Editor: For me, the tree represents resilience, but also solitude. The way it leans, almost yearning... it speaks to the human condition, our fleeting moments of joy and inevitable farewells. It is a wistful image, truly. Curator: Indeed, the composition subtly invites us to reflect on themes of loss and transformation. The story is beautifully rendered with the rough texture, adding a tactile, almost vulnerable quality to the artwork. Editor: Absolutely, it’s a reminder of how the simplest stories, told through the most humble means, can touch something profoundly universal within us.