Diptych: Female Elephant from Central India (Tenjiku kudari daijōzō no zu), published by Otakuya Takichi Possibly 1861

Editor: Here we have Ikkōsai Yoshimori's woodblock print diptych of a "Female Elephant from Central India." It’s printed on paper, and I’m curious about the ropes around the elephant's feet. What does this imagery suggest to you? Curator: Note the means of production. This print was likely made for mass consumption. Consider the labor involved in carving the woodblocks, printing the image, and distributing it. This elephant becomes a commodity, its exoticism packaged and sold. Editor: So, the ropes might speak to the elephant's commodification as a spectacle or a symbol of power? Curator: Precisely. How does the materiality of the print—the paper, the ink—contribute to this understanding of the elephant's status? Editor: I see now; the print medium democratizes the image, making the 'exotic' accessible while simultaneously stripping the animal of its inherent wildness. Thanks!