Kii no Tamagawa, Number Six, from the series The Six Crystal Rivers (Roku Tamagawa) 

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Sadakage's "Kii no Tamagawa, Number Six, from the series The Six Crystal Rivers," made with paper. I’m struck by the contrast between the elaborate patterns and the woman's somber expression. What do you see in how the materials and techniques used reflect the societal context? Curator: Notice how the woodblock printing allows for mass production, thus democratizing art, making these luxury goods accessible to the emerging middle class. The labor involved in carving these blocks highlights the commodification of nature and beauty. Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered the social implications of the printing process itself. Curator: Precisely! And how does the depiction of the river, a natural resource, also become a consumer product in this image? Food for thought, indeed.