Veranda Post 1914

This is a wooden veranda post carved by Olowe of Ise, likely in the early 20th century. The sculpture presents a vertical composition, dominated by two large figures: a standing female supporting a seated male figure. The color scheme is subdued, with traces of blue paint on the standing figure. Olowe’s sculpture embodies a visual tension between support and authority. The female figure, larger in scale, carries not only a physical burden but also symbolic weight. This subverts traditional representations of power, challenging fixed notions of gender roles. The semiotic interplay here is rich: the figures' gestures, adornments, and relative positions function as signs. The veranda post destabilizes established meanings through its dynamic form. It invites ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation within broader cultural and philosophical discourses. The artist prompts us to reconsider the interplay between the aesthetic and the ideological.