Battledore and Shuttlecock and Envelope 

Editor: This is "Battledore and Shuttlecock and Envelope" by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. It looks like a woodblock print with striking colors and depictions of people. What is your interpretation of this piece? Curator: It's fascinating how Kuniyoshi uses the imagery of a children's game to comment on Edo society, isn't it? The battledores themselves, adorned with portraits, become stages. What stories do you think these portraits might tell about gender and performance? Editor: It is thought-provoking. I hadn't considered the social commentary, only its aesthetic qualities. Thanks! Curator: It's a potent reminder that art often holds a mirror to the complexities of the society that birthed it.