Leaping from Kiyomizu Temple c. late 1750s

Editor: Ishikawa Toyonobu's woodblock print, "Leaping from Kiyomizu Temple," created around the late 1750s, has a strange visual tension. The figure seems both poised for flight and yet utterly still, framed within the architecture and landscape. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It strikes me as an embodiment of faith and desperation, a dramatic visualisation of hope against the odds. "Leaping from Kiyomizu Temple" was a common phrase alluding to the Buddhist temple's famous tradition – if one survived a jump from the high veranda, one’s wish would be granted. The survival rate was around 85%, yet the psychological weight of this image must be immense. Do you sense the tension between the beauty of the print and the gravity of the implied action? Editor: Absolutely, especially knowing about the historical context. The delicate lines and floral motifs clash intriguingly with the risky nature of the leap. What's the significance of the umbrella she's holding? Curator: The umbrella likely points to the subject's elevated social class, adding another layer to this performance of faith. Does her expression seem resolved or terrified? It's the ambiguity of symbols like these that gives them so much lasting power. It encapsulates so much, doesn't it? Risk, aspiration, class... Editor: It really does. I came into this conversation just looking at a pretty image, but now it holds so much more meaning knowing about the history behind it! Curator: Indeed, the symbolic resonance deepens our understanding, transforming our perception. The image becomes a narrative of faith and fortune, revealing historical context and continuity through potent visual emblems.