Poem with Woman Looking at Moon (Gotokudai-ji no Sadaijin) c. 1765 - 1770

Editor: This woodblock print, "Poem with Woman Looking at Moon" by Suzuki Harunobu, has such delicate lines. I'm curious about the poem itself, but what really strikes me is the woman's kimono. What can we learn from how it was made, and who might have worn it? Curator: Absolutely. Look closely at the details – the dyeing techniques, the specific motifs. These all point to the social standing and perhaps even the economic structures that allowed for such craftsmanship. Who was consuming these images and the clothes depicted within them? Editor: So, you are saying that by looking at the kimono, we can understand about labour and consumption in the Edo period? Curator: Precisely. It isn't just an aesthetic object; it's a product of specific social and economic forces. What might the availability of these materials and the labor required to produce the print itself tell us? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about! I hadn't considered how the materiality of art could speak so directly about its historical context.