Plum Blossoms and Lacquered Letter Box with text beginning "Shiranu yō mo nakari tsuran kō nado shō soko shaken[?] mono o...", from the series The Changelings (Torikaeba monogatari), with poems by Tangoan Tsumifusa and associates c. early 19th century

Editor: This print, "Plum Blossoms and Lacquered Letter Box" by Kubo Shunman, features delicate blossoms emerging from a patterned box. The poems are also striking. What do you see in how Shunman blends image and text? Curator: I see a fascinating interplay between the so-called 'high' art of calligraphy and the 'low' craft of lacquerware. Shunman elevates the everyday object by placing it within a poetic and artistic context. Editor: Interesting. So the value isn't just in the image, but in the commentary on materials and their role? Curator: Precisely. The print points to how objects acquire cultural significance through production, consumption, and representation. Editor: I never thought of it that way before. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Thinking about art's production changes everything.