Yura no Suke at the Tea House, Ichiriki/ Act 7 (Nana dan me, Okeya), from the series The Treasury of Loyal Retainers (Kanadehon chÅ«shingura) Edo period,

Editor: This is Hokusai’s woodblock print, *Yura no Suke at the Tea House*, from *The Treasury of Loyal Retainers*. I am fascinated by the way he depicts the wooden structure of the tea house. What can you tell me about the materials and their significance here? Curator: Notice the emphasis on the crafted environment: the woodblock printing process itself, the joinery of the tea house, the clothing, even the fan. How does the means of production influence our understanding of social hierarchy and ritual in this scene? Editor: That's interesting. So, you're suggesting we look at how the printmaking process itself contributes to the narrative? Curator: Precisely. Consider the labor involved in each stage: the carving, the printing, the distribution. This wasn’t just about aesthetics; it was a complex network of production and consumption that shaped cultural values. Editor: I never thought about it that way before. Thanks for pointing out the layers of meaning embedded in the materials and the making of this print! Curator: My pleasure! It's about seeing beyond the surface to understand the social and economic forces at play.