Omi no Hagi, Number Two, from the series The Six Crystal Rivers (Roku Tamagawa) 

Curator: This woodblock print is entitled "Omi no Hagi, Number Two, from the series The Six Crystal Rivers (Roku Tamagawa)," created by Utagawa Sadakage, who lived from 1800 to 1899. Editor: It strikes me as a kind of absurd fairytale. There’s this frantic, almost comical energy in the man's pose, contrasted with the woman's stillness. Curator: These prints often depicted popular stories. It feels like a playful take on gender roles and social expectations, perhaps even a satirical commentary on the elite and their pastimes. Editor: It is a curious mix, right? High drama and serene beauty all packed into this tiny paper world. So what do we make of this awkwardness and how the drama unfolds? Curator: It's fascinating to consider how prints like these provided a public space for artists and viewers to playfully negotiate cultural narratives. Editor: I like that. It’s a reminder that even in art, there's room for a chuckle and a challenge.