Bag of Historical Treasures and People of Japan and China (Ehon shahō-bukuro), 6th of 10 Volumes Possibly 1770

Editor: This is an illustration by Tachibana Morikuni titled "Bag of Historical Treasures and People of Japan and China." It's monochrome, very detailed. What stands out to you about the process of creating this work? Curator: The printed medium is crucial. Consider the labor involved in carving the woodblocks for each page of this volume. How do these repetitive gestures and this form of accessible image production shape our understanding of the stories depicted? Editor: That's fascinating; I hadn't considered the mass production angle. Does this impact the art's status? Curator: Precisely. This challenges a hierarchy of art by bringing craft and narrative together. Editor: I learned to look at the means of production as part of the artwork. Curator: A fresh perspective on labor, history, and art.