The actor Arashi Ryuzo II as Ishibe no Kinkichi, the moneylender 1794

Tōshūsai Sharaku's woodblock print captures the actor Arashi Ryuzo II in the role of Ishibe no Kinkichi. The actor's intense gaze and tightly pressed lips immediately convey a sense of suspicion and greed, qualities amplified by his hunched posture. Consider the ‘moneybags’ symbol. While this specific iconography might be rooted in Edo-period Japan, similar symbols of wealth and avarice appear across cultures and epochs. Think of the grotesque figures in medieval morality plays, clutching their purses, embodiments of greed. These symbols tap into a collective fear and fascination with wealth, recurring through history in various forms—from Molière's "The Miser" to Dickens' Scrooge. The moneylender, whether Ishibe or Scrooge, becomes a vessel for societal anxieties about wealth and its corrupting influence, engaging viewers on a deeply subconscious level. This representation embodies a non-linear progression of symbols that recur, evolve, and take on new meanings.