Tachibana Armor with Chrysanthemum-Stream Motif (Kikusui yoroi) and Sutra Scroll of Universal Gate Chapter (Fumonbon), from the series Four Types of Existence (Shishō no uchi), with poem by Sōkaen Takemaru Edo period,

Curator: I'm struck immediately by how graphic and bold this is! Editor: Indeed. This is Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print, "Tachibana Armor with Chrysanthemum-Stream Motif," part of his "Four Types of Existence" series. You'll also see a poem by Sokaen Takemaru alongside the armor. Curator: Right! That arrow piercing the mask...the defeated warrior. It almost feels like a playful deconstruction of traditional valor. The chrysanthemum, too, often a symbol of nobility, softened here. Editor: Chrysanthemums have multilayered meanings, connected to longevity and the Imperial family, but also to transience. The armor becomes a memento mori, a reminder of life's fleeting nature, particularly poignant in the context of a warrior's existence. Curator: So true. And Hokusai, with his irreverent wit, puts the whole warrior ethos in conversation with something much larger. Editor: The symbols open up contemplation on mortality, strength, and the passage of time. I find the juxtaposition very affecting.