Old Man Conversing with Two Sparrows: Tongue-Cut Sparrow (Shita-kiri suzume), from the series Folktales of Wisdom, Benevolence and Courage (Mukashi banashi chijinyÅ«) c. mid 19th century

Editor: This is Kikugawa Eizan's "Old Man Conversing with Two Sparrows," part of the "Folktales of Wisdom, Benevolence and Courage" series. It's fascinating how the artist depicts the sparrows with human-like features. How do you interpret the social commentary embedded within this fantastical scene? Curator: Well, consider the context. Woodblock prints like these served as popular entertainment and moral instruction. The tale itself is about greed and kindness, but Eizan's choice to visualize the sparrows in this way highlights societal power dynamics. Who holds the power in this image, and how does that reflect on the wider world? Editor: That’s a great point. It seems the artist is using the folktale to critique social hierarchies of the time. Thanks for pointing that out!