Triptych: Transit of an American Steam Locomotive (Amerika koku jōkisha ōrai), published by Maruya Jimpachi Possibly 1861

Editor: This is Utagawa Yoshikazu's "Triptych: Transit of an American Steam Locomotive," a woodblock print from the 19th century. It's fascinating to see such a distinctly American scene rendered in a Japanese style. What strikes you about it? Curator: It's Yoshikazu's interpretation, isn't it? The steam locomotive, a symbol of American progress, becomes almost dreamlike here. It's filtered through a lens of Japanese aesthetics. I imagine Yoshikazu was capturing a spectacle. What do you think he was trying to convey? Editor: Maybe a sense of wonder, the excitement of new technology arriving in Japan. Curator: Precisely! And it makes me think, isn't art about translation, interpreting one world for another? Editor: Absolutely. This piece gave me a whole new perspective. Curator: Me too! It's a reminder of how art transcends borders.